International Youth Day: Youth Engagement for Global Action

Today, August 12, 2020, is International Youth Day. This annual global awareness day was designated by the United Nations to draw the attention of the government to issues that youths face worldwide. The first International Youth Day was observed on the 12th of August 2000 and each year has a different theme that is coined based on the prevalent issues the youth are experiencing at the time.

This year’s theme is “Youth Engagement for Global Action”. Today is set aside to highlight the ways in which the engagement of young people at the local, national and global levels is enriching national and multilateral institutions and processes, as well as draw lessons on how their representation and engagement in formal institutional politics can be significantly enhanced.

As we celebrate Youth day in Nigeria, one question comes to mind. How involved and engaged are the Nigerian youths in the formation and implementation of policies that directly affect the youths and the nation? “Youths are the leaders of tomorrow” is one slogan every Nigerian millennial heard while growing up but there are only a few millennials actively representing the youths and participating In the Nigerian government. In a bid to support the inclusion of youths in policymaking and governance, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Not Too Young To Run bill sponsored by Tony Nwulu into law on the 31st of May, 2018.

Thanks to this bill, youths aged 25 years old can now run for elective positions in the House of Assembly and House of Representatives. Youths aged 30 can now run for Senate and Governorship positions while youths aged 30 years can now run for the office of the President of Nigeria.

To celebrate this year’s International Youth Day, here is a list of some youths who have actively participated in governance and positively impacted the policy and processes of the government of their nation.

Tony Nwulu

Tony Nwulu from Ezinihitte Mbaise-Imo state was born November 14th, 1978. He represents the Oshodi-Isolo II constituency in the House of Representatives and is a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Tony Nuwlwu sponsored the Not Too Young To Run bill. This bill is an act of parliament which sought to reduce the age limit for running for elective office in Nigeria. The bill was signed into law on the 31st of May, 2018 by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari.

Vanessa D’Ambrosio

Born on April 26, 1988, in Borgo Maggiore, Vanessa D’Ambrosio was the world’s youngest leader in 2017. She was the Captain Regent of San Marino and served from April 1 2017 until October 2017. Vanessa D’Ambrosio is the second-youngest woman to have become the Captain Regent in the history of San Marino. The first youngest woman to have become Captain Regent was Maria Lea Pedini-Angelini, who was sworn in at the age of 25. In January 2017, Vanessa D’Ambrosio participated in the Strasbourg Plenary Session where she signed a motion for the protection of migrant children through education.

Sebastian Kurz

Sebastian Kurz born on 27 August 1986 in Meidling, Vienna is the chancellor of Austria and the youngest head of government in the world. He entered politics by joining the Young People’s Party (JVP) in 2003. In 2008, he assumed his first political office as the chairman of the JVP for Vienna. In 2010, he obtained his first governmental post. After a reshuffle of the First Faymann cabinet in 2011, Kurz was nominated and appointed state secretary of the Interior Ministry for social integration. In 2013, Kurz became foreign minister of Austria and remained the country’s top diplomat until December 2017. Sebastian Kurz has also been the chairman of the Austrian People’s Party since May 2017. His youth and political tenor has been credited with revitalizing the traditional conservative movement in Austria, and to a larger extent, in Europe.

Seeing how these youths have impacted and are impacting the government of their nations, this International Youth Day, we encourage youths to take up the mantle of leadership in their various communities. With the “Not too young to run” bill, Nigerian youths can now engage in politics and influence government policies that can set the course for positive change in our nation. Happy International Youth Day.