Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The European Union Delegation to Nigeria and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC) have asked Nigerian youths to demand transparency and accountability from public institutions.
Speaking at a Model Legislative Assembly Session in Abuja, Programme Manager for Democracy, Rule of Law and Gender at the EU Delegation, Laolu Olawumi, said Nigeria’s democracy can only deepen when young people insist on accountable governance at all levels.
“This internship is not just about producing future politicians. It is about forming citizens who understand governance and how to engage it,” she said.
Olawumi told participants that democracy goes beyond elections to include lawmaking, oversight, citizen participation, and consensus building in a diverse country like Nigeria.
She urged them to use the knowledge gained to explain governance processes to their communities.
“You are now ambassadors of Nigeria and representatives of your communities. A second thing I want you to focus on is continuing to hold institutions accountable,” she added.
Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, said the internship exposed participants to the realities of lawmaking, representation, oversight, legislative research and the day-to-day operations of the National Assembly.
He noted that the programme would equip beneficiaries to interrogate those in leadership and contribute meaningfully to national development.
Also speaking, the Clerk of the National Assembly described the PLAC legislative internship as one of Nigeria’s foremost platforms for grooming young professionals with practical knowledge of legislative practice and democratic institutions.
The programme was organized by PLAC with support from the EU Support to Democratic Governance Programme.