Youth Participation, Democratic Leadership and Governance Reforms for Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract

Despite the global population's growth, youth continue to play a significant role as agents of social change in community engagements that enhance political efficiency in democratic governance worldwide. Empirical studies show that youth engagement manifests as increased political awareness, civic engagement, and citizen involvement, thereby building institutional trust that helps achieve the SDGs. Given this context, this paper investigates the potential of youth for innovation, grassroots movements, and participation in governance in the transformative agenda of the SDGs 2030, with particular reference to SDGs 16 and 17. A qualitative research methodology was used in the paper, enabling the study to probe, scrutinise, explore, and analyse existing studies using secondary data; thematic analysis was adopted to identify themes. The findings revealed that the youth were not consulted or involved in decision-making processes, leading to disillusionment and a shift towards community growth and development in many states in Nigeria. The paper opined that meaningful youth participation is not merely desirable but a requirement for achieving the SDGs' vision, and that policymakers should transition from consultation to enabling youth attainment of leadership positions in Nigeria.