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By Olakunle Olafioye
Poor level of political consciousness among the Nigerian youths will continue to pose a major challenge to the demand for good governance and accountability. This is one of the findings of a recent study conducted by a Nigerian journalist and researcher, James Ojo Adakole.
The study, titled, “Comparative Analysis of Online Advocacy for Good Governance and Actual Political Involvement among Nigerian Youths”, and published by the International Journal of Sub-Saharan African Research (IJSSAR) on December 31, 2025, revealed the poor knowledge of many Nigerian youths about their representatives at ward, state and federal levels.
The study expressed serious concerns about the poor knowledge of the young people in the country about their political leaders. “This says a lot about the state of our democracy and the level of political consciousness among the youth. Good governance is anchored on transparency and accountability, but when young people do not even know who represents them, it becomes difficult to demand accountability. There is a clear need for improved civic and political education.”
Although the study showed that Nigerian youths are actively engaged in online political discussions on good governance, findings revealed huge gaps in offline participation.
“Offline political participation was generally low, as over half (50.1%) had never voted, protested, or attended political rallies. Among those who had participated offline, engagement was irregular, with most doing so only occasionally, while the majority had not joined political parties or attended political training.
“Beyond online advocacy for good governance, the youth need to actively engage in offline political activities to drive real reforms in Nigeria. There’s nothing wrong with online advocacy, but that alone will not bring about good governance in the country. The youth must participate actively in offline political activities, such as voting, attending political rallies, engaging in genuine protests, among others,” the study pointed out.
The study identified fear of violence as the main barrier to offline participation, followed by lack of interest and distrust in the electoral body, with most youths reporting that they felt unsafe engaging in offline political activities.
The study therefore recommended urgent reforms to improve security before, during, and after elections to encourage offline participation of the youth in political activities and elevate trust in the electoral system in the country.
The study advocated increased enlightenment of the Nigerian youths to improve their understanding of their political leaders and reforms to restore their confidence in the electoral process to enable them to participate during elections.
