Be active in shaping Nigeria’s Democracy, Deputy Speaker Urges Youths

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has called on Nigerian youths to take active leadership roles in shaping the country’s democracy, reaffirming the parliament’s commitment to supporting youth leadership.

He stated that the House would actively review legislative frameworks to reduce financial barriers to political participation, enhance youth representation in party structures, and establish institutional pathways for youth-led civic innovation.

Kalu, who made the call while delivering the keynote address at the opening of the 2025 CiTech Summit organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, to mark the 10th anniversary of World Youth Skills Day.

The deputy speaker, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Press Affairs, Udora Orizu, said this could be achieved through digital innovation and civic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Represented by Hon. Muktar Tolani Shagaya, Kalu noted that the event, themed “Road to 2027: Leveraging Digital Innovation to Deepen Citizen Participation and Inclusive Governance”, is timely as Nigeria’s future depends on harnessing its vast digital potential to build an inclusive, transparent, and technology-driven democratic system.

He lamented that despite Nigeria’s projected 103 million internet users and over 205 million active mobile connections, representing 90.7 per cent of the population, the country still struggles with significant digital inequality.

The deputy speaker, who chairs the committee on constitutional review, assured that the committee has been working diligently to advance electoral reforms and will enact legal frameworks to provide oversight and champion the necessary reforms to deliver a credible, digitally enabled, and inclusive 2027 election.

Kalu said, “It is with profound honour and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today to deliver the keynote address at this landmark CiTechSummit 2025.

“As we commemorate the 10th anniversary of World YouthSkills Day under the global theme “Youth Empowerment through AI and Digital Skills,” we gather not just to celebrate potential, but to commit ourselves to the urgent national task of leveraging digital innovation to deepen citizen participation and build a genuinely inclusive democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Distinguished delegates, Nigeria is a nation of immense digital potential, with 103 million internet users, 205.4 million active mobile connections representing 90.7% of our population, and a youth demographic that comprises over 60% of our people.

“These numbers should position us as a continental leader in digital democracy. Yet, we are simultaneously a nation of severe digital disparities: only 45.5% internet penetration nationally, and a staggering reality that only 23% of rural communities have internet access. This dichotomy defines our 2027 challenge.

“The road to 2027 is not paved with wishful thinking; it is paved with strategic action, institutional reform, and collective commitment. Let us walk this road together, leveraging digital innovation not as an end in itself, but as a means to the ultimate end: a Nigeria where every citizen, regardless of location, gender, or socioeconomic status, has a voice, a vote, and a stake in the democratic future.”