Every June 12, we celebrate Democracy Day in Nigeria, a symbolic moment honouring the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who fought for our right to choose. It’s a day to reflect on how far we’ve come, but also to ask: how far are we willing to go to protect and improve our democracy?
In a country where the political system often feels distant, it’s tempting to believe that democracy begins and ends on election day. But democracy in Nigeria is more than casting a vote. It’s about staying engaged long after the polls close. It’s about the daily decisions we make to speak up, to get involved, and to hold systems accountable.
True democracy thrives on participation. It’s expressed in our conversations, our activism, our ability to challenge the status quo. Democracy isn’t a one-time act. It’s a lifestyle of civic responsibility.
And for Nigerian youth, the stakes are especially high. In a country with one of the youngest populations in the world, the future of governance, innovation, and leadership depends on how this generation engages with power. Youth and democracy in Nigeria are inseparably linked, because real change cannot happen without the voices of those who will live with the results.
Civic engagement is about more than protesting or tweeting. It’s about being informed, asking better questions, and building better systems. It’s about knowing your rights, participating in local decisions, and ensuring that policies actually work for the people they’re meant to serve.
If democracy is to work for us, we have to work for it. That means showing up in small ways; through dialogue, education, advocacy, and accountability. It means building platforms where people can grow, be heard, and lead.
Yes, democracy is imperfect. But its power lies in the people and in our ability to influence systems from the inside out.
So for every Democracy Day, let’s do more than remember. Let’s reimagine, rebuild and rise, because democracy isn’t just what we inherit. It is what we build together.