By Aderogba George, News Agency of Nigeria, Abuja.
GENDA Foundation, in collaboration with Blue Screen Production and Solutions Media, has urged young Nigerians to prioritise institution-building over episodic activism.
The call was made at the National Dialogue on Youth and Democratic Governance, held in Abuja.
This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by Mr David Nwokorie, President of the GENDA Foundation and co-convener of the dialogue.
“Demography without organisation is not power. Nigeria’s democracy will not advance when young people wait for permission, but when they build civic systems that cannot be ignored,” Nwokorie said.
He highlighted GENDA’s expanding operations across 16 African countries and the recent launch of its research report, Africa’s Uprising, which examined structural barriers to youth participation in governance.
According to Nwokorie, the event was held with the support of Dr Godspower Oshodin, Managing Director of Solutions Media, alongside the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the European Union (EU) and the Nigerian Senate.
“The dialogue created a national platform to examine the growing gap between Nigeria’s youthful population and their representation in political leadership, with the aim of converting civic enthusiasm into structured democratic engagement,” he said.
The statement noted that Mr Peter Atigogo, producer of the Newland radio series, set the tone for the event by highlighting the critical intersection of media and civic responsibility.
Describing radio as “the original social media,” Atigogo said it remained an unrivalled catalyst for mass mobilisation, bridging the urban-rural divide.
“Radio is not just for entertainment; it is a public sphere for dialogue,” he said.
Atigogo also announced the launch of the African Cinemagic Project, aimed at equipping young Nigerians with practical, marketable skills in scriptwriting, cinematography, directing and the business of film.
“Our goal is to harness the potential of Nollywood to turn passion into profitable careers and empower a new generation of storytellers to shape narratives of peace, development and democracy,” he added.
The statement further said the event featured robust panel discussions that deepened policy dialogue.
Dr Benigna Ejimba of International IDEA, Sierra Leone, advocated the establishment of a National Youth Action Framework to align youth activism with coordinated advocacy platforms.
Meanwhile, Mr Remy Chukwunyere, Director for Africa at Inno Power Africa, USA, emphasised the need for accountable leadership and supportive policy environments to enable youth entrepreneurship.
Amb. Zainab Mohammed, Director for Projects at AFRIDU, highlighted the importance of gender inclusion and peacebuilding in community-level democratic engagement.
Mr Evans Ewurie, a former lawmaker and associate business leader, stressed the link between youth financial empowerment and sustainable political leadership pipelines.
NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA