The Challenges of Youth Participation in Politics and Governance; A Case Study of Barkin Ladi L.G.A, Plateau State
Chapter One
Objective of the study
The following objectives are ascertained;
- To understand the reasons for the formation of Not too young to rule.
- To identify the challenges to youth participation in Nigeria politics.
- To ascertain the level of youth marginalization in political participation in Nigeria
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Review
Review of literature in research is sine qua non in determining the nature of the research as it provides the basis for the understanding of what others have said or written about the subject matter, several efforts have been made in the past and present to study political participation. It therefore, becomes imperative to review what other scholars have written about democracy and political participation in Nigeria, in order to solve problems associated with it. There are numerous problems associated with lack of proper democratic practices and political participation in Nigeria which includes, gender imbalance, political apathy and total annihilation of the masses by the few aged political elites as argued by many scholars. So, this chapter will take cognizance of those literatures by many scholars on political participation in Nigeria.
Concept of Democracy
Democracy, either as a concept or a system of rule, has become excessively ambiguous in contemporary political analysis. Indeed, there is probably no concept that has been so subjected to varying definitions, antagonistic interpretations and contradictory practices as the concept of democracy, this is not surprising given the fact that democracy has become more and more widely praised and embraced 27 thereby making it more and more difficult to pin down. Politicians from the extreme left to the extreme right always insist that the form of politics or rule they support is the one that is democratic in character (Adebayo, 2009). Democracy can be defined as a system of government in which all qualified adult citizens share supreme power directly or indirectly or through their elected representatives. Abraham Lincoln, whose definition of democracy has become axiomatic, defined it as “the government of the people, by the people and for the people”. The term democracy has been in another occasion been describe as government by consent of the governed. According to oyovbaire (1987) democracy is a system which seeks to realize a generally recognized common good through a collective initiation and discussion of policy questions concerning public affairs and which delegated authority to agents to implement the broad decisions made by the people through majority vote. In the often eulogized Greek City States, which Giuseppe Di Palma referred to as the ‘birthplace of democracy’, every inhabitant supposedly had a direct say on issues which directly affected the state. It must be pointed out however that in practice, Greek democracy was an exclusive one because a large part of the adult population was denied full citizenship i.e. the right to participate in politics whether by attending the meetings of the Sovereign Assembly or by serving in public offices. Not only were women denied the right of full citizenship, but also long term resident aliens (metics) and slaves. Indeed, the slaves were no more than the property of their owners wholly without legal rights. Thus, only the non-slaves were allowed to vote and by 430 BC, nearly half of the total populations of Athens were slaves. Furthermore, Jean Jacque Rousseau (1712-1778), the Enlightenment French social and political theorist and one of the first thinkers to question the basis of the 28 undemocratic and absolute power wielded by Europe’s monarchs, limited his notion of democracy to property owners while John Stuart Mill (1806-1873), the British philosopher-economist, called for the extension of the franchise to the property class only.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
In this chapter, we described the research procedure for this study. A research methodology is a research process adopted or employed to systematically and scientifically present the results of a study to the research audience viz. a vis, the study beneficiaries.
RESEARCH DESIGN
Research designs are perceived to be an overall strategy adopted by the researcher whereby different components of the study are integrated in a logical manner to effectively address a research problem. In this study, the researcher employed the survey research design. This is due to the nature of the study whereby the opinion and views of people are sampled. According to Singleton & Straits, (2009), Survey research can use quantitative research strategies (e.g., using questionnaires with numerically rated items), qualitative research strategies (e.g., using open-ended questions), or both strategies (i.e., mixed methods). As it is often used to describe and explore human behaviour, surveys are therefore frequently used in social and psychological research.
POPULATION OF THE STUDY
According to Udoyen (2019), a study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitutes of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description.
This study was carried to examine the challenges of youth participation in politics and governance. Selected youths in Barkin Ladi LGC, Plateau State form the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the analysis of data derived through the questionnaire and key informant interview administered on the respondents in the study area. The analysis and interpretation were derived from the findings of the study. The data analysis depicts the simple frequency and percentage of the respondents as well as interpretation of the information gathered. A total of eighty (80) questionnaires were administered to respondents of which only seventy-seven (77) were returned and validated. This was due to irregular, incomplete and inappropriate responses to some questionnaire. For this study a total of 77 was validated for the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the challenges of youth participation in politics and governance, a case study of Barkin Ladi LGC, Plateau State. In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing an a critical analysis of tthe challenges of youth participation in politics and governance
Summary
This study was on the challenges of youth participation in politics and governance, a case study of Barkin Ladi LGC, Plateau State. Three objectives were raised which included: To understand the reasons for the formation of Not too young to rule, to identify the challenges to youth participation in Nigeria politics and to ascertain the level of youth marginalization in political participation in Nigeria. A total of 77 responses were received and validated from the enrolled participants where all respondents were drawn from selected youth in Barkin Ladi LGC, Plateau State. Hypothesis was tested using Chi-Square statistical tool (SPSS).
Conclusion
However, youths being leaders of tomorrow have greater role to play either individually or as groups with vested interest. These roles cannot be effectively carried out until when the youths, collectively and individually rise above the aforementioned challenges. Once the challenges are overcome, the Nasarawa youths can effectively participate and contribute to the sustainability of the democratisation process which is now in full swing
Recommendation
Sound and Qualitative Education: in addressing these issues or challenges, it is important for Nasarawa Youths and all other stakeholders to first and foremost, fight illiteracy and spare no energy in the battle to rid the education sector of all the vestiges of authoritarianism, vandalism, senseless violence, anarchism, rackets and racketeers, cults and cultists e.t.c. The strategy should go beyond superficial campaign to include the creation of open, transparent and legitimate avenues for exercising right and expressing bottled up tension. They should ensure and support policies that will increase school enrolments and quality of learning in the state as well as those that will guarantee selfreliance and creativity.
Genuine Employment and Poverty Alleviation Grogrammes: the youths should be consulted for their input in the design and implementation of employment and poverty alleviation programmes such as the N.D.E. and NAPEP among others. This shall genuinely boast employment and reduce poverty facing the youths. Special fund should be set aside at all levels of government to take care of these programmes. Hence, this will prevent or decrease the undue manipulation of the youths for selfish political interest by overzealous politicians
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