YOUTH AND GOOD GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA: THE LEVEL OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND INFLUENCE IN DELTA STATE.

Abstract

The study examines the relationship between youth and good governance in Nigeria, with a specific focus on assessing the level of youth participation and influence in Delta State. It explores the extent to which young people engage in political and governance processes, as well as the structural, socio-economic, and institutional factors that shape their involvement. Political participation theory was adopted for this study for better clarification of the issue under review. Simple percentage and chi- square was used to test the hypotheses while 523 sampled respondents completed a structured questionnaire that was used to collect data from respondents. The study finds that there is significant relationship between level of youth participation in political activities, factors that influence youth involvement in politics and development in Delta State. The study recommend among others the need for Government at all levels to create institutional frameworks that promote youth inclusion in governance through political appointments, mentorship programmes, and leadership training initiatives aimed at strengthening their administrative and decision-making capacities. The study also recommend that there is need for political parties to adopt internal democratic reforms that encourage youth participation by lowering nomination fees, reserving elective positions for young aspirants, and ensuring fair representation of youth in party structures and decision-making bodies.