Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam; former Governor of Imo State, Chukwuemeka Ihedioha, and other politicians have advised the younger generation to change the narrative on how politics is played in Nigeria.
They gave the advice Wednesday in Abuja at the end of a three-day Fellows Bootcamp, the climax of a six-month training journey for the 2023 Cohort of the Emerging Political Leaders Fellowship (EPLF).
Daily Trust reports that the EPLF is an initiative of The Bridge Leadership Foundation (TBLF).
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The 2023 Cohort, comprising 25 fellows were selected nationwide from a pool of over 500 applications.
Following their induction, the fellows participated in a series of virtual sessions facilitated by past and current politicians, development professionals, and experts from diverse fields.
As part of their civic engagement, the fellows actively gave back to their immediate communities through step-down training and various civic initiatives.
The culmination of these efforts led to a three-day BootCamp in Abuja, where they converged for in-depth learning, networking opportunities, and the grand graduation ceremony.
The climax of the program took place on Wednesday with a momentous graduation day featuring mentoring sessions led by top serving and past political leaders.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Suswam urged young and aspiring politicians to aim towards providing services in order to change the narrative.
He said: “My advice for young and aspiring politicians is for them to keep their eyes on the ball. What do I mean by that? Those who are preparing to come into politics and play politics must know and appreciate the fact that it’s not a bed of roses. It has ups and downs. And so they must be prepared and strong.
“They must also have it at the back of their minds that they are coming to provide service not to come and engage in selfish activities that benefit them and their immediate family.”
On his part, Ihedioha said young generation of leaders need to understand their local environment for the desired change in Nigeria.
“There is a lot more to our democracy. I urge the fellows to understand their local environment and ask questions, because there are rules governing electoral processes in the country,” he said.
Betty Apiafi, a former lawmaker, said: “Politics is local to everybody. What is tenable in Cross River cannot be the same with Kaduna and what is tenable in one local government cannot be the same with another local government. You have to have a good understanding. From the understanding of the political environment, you can now come up with your strategy to run your elections.”
This year’s fellowship programme was supported by LEAP Africa and the Nigerian Youth Futures Fund (NYFF).
