Director General of the Youth in Parliament Forum, YIPF, Tony Nwulu has assured that the agency will provide support for young Nigerians seeking election into political offices irrespective of political party.
Nwulu gave the assurance on Tuesday at a meeting between the management of the YIPF and a delegation from Prezzo Shed Investments Limited, led by the Managing Director, Dr Emmanuel Njoku.
Njoku was at the headquarters of the YIPF to express interest in supporting the agency’s Take Action Campaign, TAC, which is aimed at ensuring that young people actively participate in the 2027 election. He made a N5 million donation towards the implementation of the campaign, through which YPF intends to provide financial support for young political office seekers.
Nwulu, a former member of the House of Representatives who was instrumental to the passage of the ‘Not Too Young To Run Act’, said the agency’s ultimate target is to ensure that young people make up at least 40 percent of the National Assembly.
He equally stressed that by identifying and nurturing committed young leaders, the agency will contribute to entrenching good governance in the country.
Nwulu, in the same vein, stressed that the Youth in Parliament Forum is non partisan.
“We are clearly not partisan. We are supporting candidates across party lines. It is not about the current party in power, it is about young people that want to run for office but don’t have the funding for that.
“We don’t want a repeat of what we are already running away from – which is bad leadership. So for those we have identified that want to run for office we put them through a leadership course.
“We want them to be sure of what they are going to do as leaders. We don’t want accidental leaders just because you have been provided with funding.
“What we are looking at essentially is to have a National Assembly that will have at least 40 percent young people, regardless of which political party they belong to,” Nwulu said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for giving key appointments to young people in his administration, noting that the development is breeding a new crop of leaders in the country.
“For the first time we see young people in their 30s being appointed as board chairmen,” he observed.
In a presentation at the meeting, Aisha Shehu, Director Legal of the YIPF, disclosed that the agency has recorded 1,282,941 registered grassroots mobilizers for the Take action Campaign, TAC.
“YIPF is a beacon of hope for young people,” she said, noting that agency is targeting to have at least 20 million registered young voters by 2027.
According to her, YIPF is addressing challenges that had undermined the participation of youths in the democratic process, including underrepresentation of young Nigerians in governance.
Speaking at the meeting, MD of Prezzo Shed Investments Limited, Dr Emmanuel Njoku, hailed the programs initiated by YIPF.
Njoku added that the agency is providing a much needed opportunity for citizens in foreign countries to participate in Nigerian elections.
“This is going to provide hope for Nigeria as it will provide a platform for young people that are overseas to participate in Nigeria’s democracy and governance,” he stressed.
Nwulu presented Njoku with YIPF flag as a symbol of the collaboration between the two organizations.
According to its website, the Youth in Parliament Forum is a non-partisan platform supporting young Nigerians in understanding, engaging with, and influencing the legislative process. The agency fosters civic leadership through hands-on training, peer collaboration, and dialogue with public officials.
