The fight against voter apathy may take centre stage ahead of the 2027 elections as the National Orientation Agency identifies declining trust as a major challenge to democratic participation.
The agency says election violence, misinformation, vote buying and the perception that individual votes do not make a difference are discouraging citizens, particularly young Nigerians, from participating in elections.
Speaking at an election roundtable in Abuja, the Director of Civic, Values and Democracy Education at the NOA, Olukemi Afolayan, said restoring public confidence was essential to reversing the trend.
She described young Nigerians as critical stakeholders in the country’s democratic development, stressing that their participation would be crucial to the future of democracy.
Afolayan said empowering a new generation of voters goes beyond encouraging them to register and cast their ballots, noting that citizens also need civic education to understand their rights and responsibilities.
She urged Nigerians to reject vote buying and selling, resist misinformation, shun electoral violence and demand issue-based campaigns from political actors.
According to her, rebuilding confidence in democracy is key to restoring citizens’ belief in the power of their votes.
