“Women and Youths Must Demand Inclusion, Empowerment Through Their Voting Strength,” Hasken Matasa Discussants
AREWA AGENDA – With an official population of about 84 million registered voters, Nigerian women and youths make up the highest number of persons eligible to exercise their franchise in the forthcoming general election.
This group are not only the strongest determinant of the outcome of elections in the country but by virtue of their voting block over Nigeria’s election history, the enormous power to elect pragmatic and visionary public office holders rests solely on their voting strength and orientation.
However, the same have perpetually remained underserved by the same people that have willingly handed over power to.
They have been systematically edged out of policy making and empowerment affairs thereby creating a vacuum for further descent into underdevelopment.
To salvage the situation, Hasken Matasa on its 46th episode which also marked its one year anniversary discussed “Agenda and Priorities for Elected Officials and Electorates with a Focus on Youth and Women Empowerment.
On the program was Malam Abdulaziz Muhammad Kaura, Barrister Maimuna Sharif and Aisha Habiba, who talked through what elected officials and electorates must do to achieve national prosperity.
“Electorates; especially youths and women, since they have the numbers should, instead of voting officials based on whims and fancies should do so on the bases of perceived honesty and credibility, this is because the law and policies in their favour are there, what is left is getting someone that can bring the written text to reality,” Malam Abdulaziz stated.
Despite his optimism that the laws are there, Abdulaziz suggested that elimination of money as a yardstick to vote, annihilation of illiteracy among electorates and resuscitation of holding leaders accountable, will play a vital role in addressing issues surrounding appropriate youth and women empowerment.
Barrister Maimuna on her part agreed with Malam Abdulaziz, but remains of the view that youth and women lack awareness on how to get access to the available empowerment.
“Though the opportunities are there, youth and women lack the awareness or knowledge on how to get access to this opportunities.”
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To solve this, Barrister Maimuna said, “Awareness should be given to the target about how they can access empowerment meant for them, such (empowerment), should be taken to the grassroot level (rural areas); because for example, people in urban centres usually get funds for agriculture which they do not engage in and, after teaching manufacture of certain products, accreditation by bodies like National Agency for Food, Drug and Administration Control (NAFDAC) or Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), an avenue should also be provided for them to sell off the products.”
“I strongly disagree with giving out money as an empowerment, but if such is done, there should be fellow up to ensure that the money is used for what it is slated for.” Maimuna added.
Mrs Aisha Habib, speaking on behalf of the youths, encouraged that before the government provides any form of empowerment, the people in question – women and youth should be engaged.
“Everyone knows his or her capabilities, hence, if elected officials want to provide any form of help, they should engage the supposed beneficiaries, with this, they can know the right form of assistance or support to render.”
“Seminars can be organised every now and then to remind the youth of their relevance in any society, mentorship should be provided for those that have certain skills or business to develop or expand and dead companies in the state and across the country should be revived in order to provide employment opportunities,” Aisha recommended.
The total number of registered voters in Nigeria may have risen from 84 million to 96.2 million, according to a recent PUNCH report.
This is based on the latest voter statistics released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which states that 12.2 million voters registered in the Continuous voter registration that ended on Sunday.
According to INEC, the North-West geopolitical zone, which comprises the seven states of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Jigawa, with a total of 22.67 million registered voters, has the highest number of registered voters.
An August breakdown of INEC’s report also showed that about 71 per cent of the newly registered voters are youths. Of the 12.2 million newly registered voters, about 8.7 million are between the ages of 18 and 34 while about 2.4 million are between ages 35 and 49. Those between ages 50 and 69 are about 856, 017 while about 127, 541 are over 70.
The statistics also showed that more women registered during the latest continuous voter registration (CVR) than men. While 6,224,866 are women, 6,074,078 are men.
Hasken Matasa, which literally translates into “Light of the Youths”, is a weekly programme on topical youth oriented issues organised by the Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR) and the Youth Society for Prevention of Infectious Diseases and Social Vices (YOSPIS), is sponsored by the Aminu Magashi Garba Foundation (AMG Foundation).
