HURIDAC Organizes Stakeholders Roundtable Talk on Election and Youth Engagement (EYE) Project

HURIDAC Organizes Stakeholders Roundtable Talk on Election and Youth Engagement (EYE) Project 

..... Charges Youths To Become Agents of Change By Being Informed

A West African sub regional human rights and environmental concern organization, Human Rights Advancement, Development and Advocacy Centre (HURIDAC) has organized a one day stakeholders roundtable talk on Election and Youth Engagement (EYE) in Lagos.

The event which was well attended, had in attendance the executive director of HURIDAC Mr Ayodele Ameen, the Head of Voters Education and Publicity INEC Lagos office Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegeshin and his team, CSP Yemisi Alli who represented the Commissioner of police, Lagos State command, Mr. Tola Oresanwo of CACOL, Mrs Christiana Njoku of Centre for Citizens with Disability (CDD), youth leaders, students from tertiary institutions in Lagos State, among several others.

In his key note address Mr Ayodele Ameen, the executive director of HURIDAC emphasized the role of youth participation in politics as not only desirable but essential for the vitality of democratic governance in our society. He however lamented that despite their potential as catalysts for change, youth participation in politics is hampered by a myriad of challenges among which is ignorance of the provisions of the constitution and the electoral Act on which our democracy is hinged.

He mentioned the essence of HURIDAC EYE project which is hinged on mobilizing the youths who have been demotivated, to take part in the electoral process because of the outcome of the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria. Mr. Ameen went further to inform the gathering that HURIDAC has published and will be launching an electronic manual tools on tracking electoral promises.

Conclusively, Mr Ameen made some recommendations in his presentation as the way forward and they include among others, data drives policy formulation, youth empowerment initiatives and promoting interdisciplinary research.

In her presentation on HURIDAC EYE project, the project manager Mfon Enoidem informed the stakeholders that the goal of the EYE project is to engender and foster youth participation in politics through educative and informative engagements. She made it known that the EYE project through it's activities has been able to produce 5000 youth election champions scattered across tertiary institutions and the rest in Lagos State.

Ms Mfon Enoidem identified the strength of the youthful population in our elections demography which ought to be harnessed to bring about positive change. She lamented that despite this huge population, the youths are not taking due advantage to partake effectively in the process like they do in the social media space. 

Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegeshin of INEC Lagos office, while commending HURIDAC for the EYE project, apologized for the inability of the Lagos State REC to be physically present due to other national assignments. He admonished the youths to be agents of change, because they are the pillar of the society. He wants them to correct the negative impressions being bandied about them because of the nefarious activities of some few. He made it known that the office of INEC is always open to the youths for engagement as partners in progress for effective collaboration and synergy towards a better society.

CSP Yemisi Alli informed the gathering that the role of the police is to provide security before, during and after the elections and that they have been doing that effectively. She made allusions to the commendations showered on the security agencies for their excellent conduct in recent elections. CSP Alli made it known that the police apart from providing security, also play advisory role on the conduct of stakeholders before, during and after elections. She commended HURIDAC for this programme and called for the reorientation of the youths.

Mrs Christiana Njoku of CCD highlighted the plight of persons living with disability and she called on stakeholders to always take them into consideration in engagement because they are also critical stakeholders in the society.

The highlight of the occasion was the launch of the Electronic Tracking Manual which was performed by the executive director of HURIDAC Mr Ayodele Ameen and assisted by Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegeshin of INEC Lagos office, CSP Yemisi Alli, Mrs Christiana Njoku, Mr Tola Oresanwo of CACOL, as well as the EYE project implementation team of HURIDAC.