Yiaga Africa establishes ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Hub at Gombe Varsity

By Haruna Rasheed

A Civil Society Organisation, Yiaga Africa, has established a “Not Too Young To Run” hub at the Gombe State University (GSU), as part of campaigns to promote youth’s participation in politics.

Speaking during the launch, over the weekend, the Programme Officer of Yiaga Africa, Mr Olaniyan Sanusi, explained that the initiative, supported by ‘Open Society Foundations’ is a step towards promoting youth participation in politics and transforming Nigeria’s political culture.

According to him, the campus hub is part of a nationwide initiative aimed at empowering young people with leadership skills, promoting transformative politics, and advocating for democratic rights. 

“We use university campuses as platforms for the hub because it is easier to reach youths in schools. Our program is for the young, in or outside the university environment,” he said.

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He challenged youths to use their energies to effectively participate in politics. He stressed that, “You dominate the entertainment scene; music, films, sports. Why not get into politics and deploy that energy to change things?

“The ‘Not Too Young To Run’ hub being established across university campuses is expected to boost activities that promote youth participation, redefine politics, and foster a new generation of leaders in Nigeria,” he added.

Mr Sanusi added that Yiaga Africa is committed to engaging political parties to make nomination forms more affordable and accessible to enable the young people to participate and contribute towards the growth of democracy in the country.

“The high cost of nomination forms is a significant barrier to youth participation in politics. We are working with political parties to address this challenge and encourage more young people to run for offices.”

SolaceBase reports that the Public Relations Officer of the GSU, Mr Hadu Naptali, lauded Yiaga Africa’s initiative of engaging youth to participate in politics.

He noted that the university also organises leadership training for students, emphasising the importance of mentorship and leadership development for the development of the country.

The ‘Not Too Young To Run’ hub, which has students of the university as members, is tasked to mobilise students and other youths around the university and the host community to participate in politics.