Nigerian youths should drive change with technology, says Agboke

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo State, Mutiu Agboke, urged Nigerian youths to adopt innovation, integrity, and active participation in governance as routes to sustainable national development.

Dr. Agboke delivered the message while presenting a paper titled “From Ideas to Impact: Harnessing Youth-Driven Innovations for Sustainable Governance and National Development” at the Leadership and Empowerment Summit organized by the Students’ Union and the New Dawn Administration of the University of Ilorin on Friday.

During his talk, the electoral commissioner described Nigeria’s youth population as the nation’s “greatest untapped development resource.”

“Empowering young people through education, technology, and participatory governance would strengthen democratic institutions and stimulate economic growth,” he emphasized.

He noted that empirical evidence shows young people can generate economic value and improve social outcomes when provided with access to finance, mentorship, infrastructure, and innovation opportunities.

According to him, “barriers such as educational misalignment, inadequate infrastructure, financing gaps, and brain drain continue to suppress Nigeria’s innovation potential and threaten long‑term national development.”

“Addressing these barriers is not merely a matter of charity or social investment. It is a matter of national security and long‑term economic survival,” he added.

He cited Rwanda, Estonia, South Korea, and Kenya as examples of countries that transformed their economies through youth‑centred innovation policies and institutional investments.

He argued that Nigeria possesses greater human‑capital potential than many of those countries but lacks the institutional discipline and political commitment required to maximise it effectively.

Speaking on democratic governance, Agboke praised the rise of youth‑led civic‑technology initiatives in Nigeria, highlighting organisations such as BudgIT and the Connected Development Initiative for promoting accountability and transparency.

He noted that digital advocacy and technological innovations contributed significantly to electoral reforms, including the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) during the 2023 general elections.

The electoral commissioner also referenced the #EndSARS protests, describing the movement as evidence of Nigerian youths’ ability to organise peacefully and demand institutional reforms through digital platforms.

Agboke urged students and youth leaders to engage constructively in governance processes by voting, monitoring public institutions, advocating policy reforms, and participating in elections.

He advised young people to develop both technical and interpersonal skills, noting that innovation requires ethical reasoning, empathy, and communication alongside technological expertise.

Addressing students directly, he encouraged them to identify societal problems, form teams, and develop practical solutions rather than waiting for ideal conditions before taking action.

“Be innovative. Be courageous. Be audacious. Be Unilorite, not only with the embodiment of knowledge and sagacity, but with untainted credibility and unalloyed integrity,” he said.