Light, Camera, Action: #YLAPNG Goes Live!

The Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), officially launched the Young Legislators Accountability Project (#YLAPNG) on Wednesday, January 13th, 2015.

The media launch which took place at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers Abuja, had in attendance young legislators from Nigeria’s National Assembly, representatives of media organizations, civil society and youth groups, development partners, as well as representatives of government agencies.

 Speaking at the event with the theme: ‘Building A New Social Contract, Forging Effective Relationship Between Legislators And Constituents, Samson Itodo, YIAGA’s Head Research, Policy and Advocacy, stated that #YLAPNG was developed, ‘to deepen democratic accountability and bridge the gap between the constituents and the legislature in the 8th National Assembly’. He also highlighted the four pillars of #YLAPNG as legislative support, legislative accountability, citizens participation and political mentorship.

Describing the legislature as ‘a symbol of democracy central to the actualization of the social contract that binds citizens and their elected representatives’, Itodo stated that #YLAPNG will serve as a platform for mainstreaming the interest of the over 60 percent population of Nigeria comprising youth into the governance processes.

According to Mr. Itodo, ‘Nigeria is in dire need of legislators who consult their constituents regularly, legislators who are open, accessible and accountable, legislators who sponsor qualitative bills and motions, and legislators who put the people first above their personal interest’.




In his remarks, the Country Director of the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Jude Ilo commended YIAGA for embarking on #YLAPNG calling it, ‘a courageous move’. Mr. Ilo added that, ‘What we are doing here today with #YLAPNG is to build a crop a new crop of national leaders’. He also reiterated the commitment of his organization to supporting #YLAPNG. 

In his good will message, the African representative on the board of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Youth – Forum of Young Parliamentarians and Chair of the Nigerian chapter of the forum, Hon. Raphael Nnanna Igbokwe, expressed the commitment of the present young legislators in Nigeria’s 8th Assembly to bringing about change in governance.

‘The more young people we have in government, the more opportunities there will be for furthering the cause of youths’, he said.

While soliciting support for the IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, Hon. Igbokwe revealed that the forum will hold a national conference on youth political participation with the theme, ‘If We Can Vote, Why Can’t We Be Voted For?’

The young legislators took time to answer questions on several topical issues ranging from the missing budget at the National Assembly to the youth empowerment scheme of N5000 monthly stipend for the unemployed Nigerian youth pledged by current APC administration during the 2015 election campaigns.

High point of the event was the unveiling of the #YLAPNG t-shirts, newsletter as well as website (www.ylap.org).



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