By Adeola Badru
Ibadan — About 1,000 youths from the five wards of Egbeda Local Government Area in Oyo State attended Youth in Politics Sensitisation 1.0 at Egbeda-Ona Ara Town Hall over the weekend. The event was convened by Omolara Svenson Busari as part of her Youths and Women in Politics Sensitisation Programme.
Busari, who delivered the keynote address under the theme “Seeds of Change: Young Nigerians and the Future of Democracy,” urged young people to begin their political engagement at the local level — in school boards, market unions and ward councils — and to move progressively into higher offices.
“Start local. Train, mentor, fund, protect, and hold elected officials accountable. We must stop seeing politics as something done by others and start owning the process,” she said.
She noted a decline in youth representation in elected offices between the 2018 and 2023 election cycles and urged participants to take practical steps to reverse the trend. Busari identified obstacles to youth participation including unemployment, limited mentorship, low confidence, and the cost of political participation, and called for sustained efforts to address these barriers.
The programme emphasised the role of mentorship, civic education and peaceful engagement, and encouraged youths to reject violence and build constructive networks within their communities.
Local party officials welcomed the initiative. Olawale Odeleye, APC Chairman in Egbeda Local Government, described the sensitisation drive as an important step to revive youth participation, while Youth Leader Lateef Abiodun said it had begun to change attitudes about civic responsibility among young people in the area.
Participants attended workshops on leadership, campaigning, and community organising, and organisers said the programme will continue with follow-up sessions and mentorship activities aimed at preparing young people for active roles in the political process.
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