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Global Questions: Africa the Next Generation: A Force for Change?

Discussion & Talk

21/07/2018 GMT

Africa the Next Generation: A Force for Change?

BBC World Service - Global Questions, Africa the Next Generation: A Force for Change?

Is Nigeria’s young population ready and willing to push through much-needed reform?

Most of Nigeria’s population is aged under 30, yet few young people hold political office.  With a general election next year, are they ready and willing to push through reform?

Lagos - Nigeria’s biggest city and its commercial centre.  It’s a noisy, vibrant, hectic place, one of the world’s fastest-growing cities and the most populated in Africa.  Like most of Africa, the majority of Nigeria’s population is aged under 30. That’s more than 100 million people. And yet, the young are barely visible in the corridors of political power.   

With a general election looming early next year, the country’s 75 year-old President Buhari recently signed a new law reducing the age you can run for political office.   It gives the young people of Nigeria a bigger platform to drive through much-needed political and social reform. But are they ready and willing to rise to the challenge? And will the older generation of politicians let go of the reins to allow in new ideas and new blood?  

This edition of Global Questions comes from the Afe Babalola hall at the University of Lagos.  The auditorium is packed full with a young and dynamic audience from across Nigeria, including from the Niger Delta, the capital Abuja, the conservative North East and from Lagos.  They’ll be putting their questions to a panel of high-profile leaders and opinion-formers.

Topics for debate include the fight against terrorism, the importance of educating and empowering women and how to combat corruption.  

Panel:
Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State in north west Nigeria. He is a former Speaker of the House.

Obiageli Ezekwesili campaigns to free the Chibok girls abducted by Boko Haram.  She’s also a former government minister and was Vice President of the World Bank.

Ayisha Osori, a lawyer and author.  She wants to overhaul the current political system of patronage and big money.

Samson Itodo started the “Not Too Young To Run” campaign, urging the government to lower the age of political office.

Ebuka Obi-Uchendu, an award-winning Nigerian TV presenter, best known for presenting Rubbin Minds, the influential TV talk show for young Nigerians.

Presenter: Zeinab Badawi
Producer: Sally Abrahams

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