Nigeria’s democracy is no longer new. But it is still becoming.
Every generation inherits a democracy shaped by those who came before it. The generation coming of age today, however, faces a different responsibility. It is not enough to inherit the system. It must decide what to do with it.
That was the central message from the Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC), Hon. Mrs. Ayo Hulayat Omidiran, as Nigeria marked International Youth Day 2026.
In a goodwill message delivered on her behalf by the Federal Commissioner representing Enugu State, Hon. Peter Ogbonna Eze, at a programme organised by the Nigeria Youth Organization, Omidiran challenged young Nigerians to move beyond the role of beneficiaries and become active stakeholders, custodians and builders of the country’s democratic future.
The theme of the programme, “The Role of Nigerian Youth in Consolidating the Gains of Democracy in Nigeria,” placed a familiar question in a different light:
What happens when the generation that will inherit Nigeria’s future begins taking responsibility for it?
Democracy is more than election day
For many young Nigerians, democracy is often encountered through elections. Campaigns. Ballot boxes. Candidates. Results.
But democracy, Omidiran argued, cannot survive on elections alone.
Its deeper foundations are found in the everyday choices citizens make: respect for the rule of law, accountability, tolerance, peaceful participation, protection of fundamental rights and respect for the diversity that defines Nigeria.
That means democratic citizenship does not begin and end at the polling station.
It continues in how people disagree. How they engage institutions. How they consume and share information. How they respond to political differences. And whether they choose to strengthen or weaken the systems they expect to serve them.
The generation with the energy to change the equation
Nigeria’s youth population represents one of the country’s greatest reservoirs of energy, creativity, innovation and intellectual capacity. But potential becomes national power only when it is organised and directed toward meaningful outcomes.
The Commission’s Executive Chairman therefore called on young Nigerians to see themselves not simply as people waiting for opportunities, but as participants capable of creating solutions and shaping the direction of the country.
That shift in mindset is important. A democracy cannot be sustained by citizens who only ask what government can do for them. It also needs citizens willing to ask what they can contribute.
The dangers that begin as “just words”
The digital age has changed political participation.
Young Nigerians can now debate public policy, mobilise communities and challenge institutions with a speed previous generations could not have imagined.
But the same platforms can amplify misinformation, hate speech and polarisation. Omidiran urged young people to reject these forces, alongside political violence and other actions capable of undermining democratic institutions and national cohesion.
The message is particularly relevant in an environment where information can travel faster than verification. Democratic participation requires a voice. It also requires responsibility for what that voice puts into the public space.
Inclusion is not an extra. It is part of the foundation.
There was another thread running through the Chairman’s message: equity.
For the Federal Character Commission, inclusion is inseparable from its constitutional responsibility.
Hon. Hulayat Motunrayo Omidiran stressed that young Nigerians, regardless of their state of origin, ethnicity or background, deserve fair access to opportunities.
This is not simply about representation for its own sake. It is about creating a system in which young people can look at the institutions of their country and believe there is a legitimate place for them within those institutions.
When citizens believe they have a stake in a system, they are more likely to defend it. When they feel permanently excluded from it, confidence begins to erode.
For Nigeria’s democracy, that distinction matters.
Young people must do more than demand accountability
Holding government accountable is an essential democratic responsibility. But the Chairman’s message went a step further.
She urged young Nigerians to contribute ideas, offer solutions and accept responsibility for national development.
That means moving from criticism to constructive engagement. From commentary to participation. From waiting for leadership to developing the capacity to lead.
Government, she emphasised, cannot secure Nigeria’s future alone. The task requires a sustained partnership involving government, civil society, communities and young Nigerians themselves.
The invitation, therefore, is not simply to watch democracy. It is to participate in it.
And then there is the question of continuity
The programme also acknowledged the Nigeria Youth Organization’s endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term.
Omidiran described the endorsement as an indication of the organisation’s confidence in continuity, stability and sustained implementation of government policies and programmes.
The broader point she raised was that continuity can give administrations the opportunity to consolidate reforms, strengthen institutions and build upon initiatives already underway.
For young Nigerians, however, continuity should also invite scrutiny. The future of any democracy cannot rest on continuity alone. It must also rest on performance, accountability, inclusion and the ability of institutions to deliver for citizens.
A politically engaged youth population has a role in all of those conversations.
The future cannot be outsourced
Perhaps the most important message from the programme is also the simplest.
Nigeria’s future will not be built by government alone. It will be built in classrooms and businesses, communities and civil society organisations, technology spaces and public institutions. It will be shaped by young Nigerians who choose whether their energy becomes disruption or innovation, whether their voices deepen division or create dialogue, and whether their ambitions stop at personal advancement or extend to national progress.
That is why youth participation in democracy matters beyond the symbolism of International Youth Day. It is about succession. It is about ownership. It is about preparation for the day when today’s young citizens become tomorrow’s policymakers, entrepreneurs, public servants, community leaders and national decision-makers.
Custodians, not spectators
Omidiran’s challenge ultimately places responsibility where it belongs: with the next generation.
Young Nigerians must demand accountability, but they must also practise responsibility.
They must question institutions, but also understand them.
They must defend their rights, but respect the rights of others.
They must bring their creativity into nation-building and their differences into dialogue rather than division.
And they must understand that democracy is not a finished product handed down from one generation to another. It is something every generation must maintain.
As Hon. Hulayat put it, the goal should be a Nigeria where every young person believes their voice matters, merit is rewarded, opportunities are accessible and diversity becomes a source of strength rather than division.
That is more than a message for International Youth Day. It is a responsibility.
Because Nigeria’s democracy already belongs to today’s youth. The question is whether they are ready to become its custodians.
