Eta Uso: Youth and Governance
Hello everyone!
I'd like to introduce Mr. Eta Uso, a young global citizen committed to the advancement of freedom and democracy in Nigeria and beyond. Here's our conversation. Enjoy!
TNIS: Tell us about yourself and what you do
Eta Uso: I am a man of few words as you would soon get to know in the course of this interview. Therefore, in few words, I am currently working in Nigeria to strengthen political parties’ internal democracy, as well as foster greater political inclusion and social rights for marginalized constituencies (women, youth and persons with disabilities) within Nigeria’s diverse population.
TNIS: From your profile, it’s evident that you are very passionate about Politics and Governance; what fuels that passion?
Eta Uso: Exclusion! I am motivated because politically, I am marginalized. The youth of Nigeria are marginalized. Our young women are marginalized. Our fellow citizens living with disabilities are marginalized. The exclusion of these indispensable groups is what keeps me up at night. Therefore, our exclusion fuels my passion for inclusion. And this passion will never die because the quest for inclusion is only the first step. We are not coming only for a seat at the table, we are coming for the table itself. And taking inspiration from the ages of leaders of France, Luxemburg, Belgium and Canada, I have never been more reminded, that a leadership structure that is representative of our youth dominated population is possible.
TNIS: As a youth, what projects (in relation to politics and governance) have you embarked on so far and what has been the outcome of such?
Eta Uso: To state a few, not too long ago, I partnered with a range of development agencies to advocate for an open national assembly (#OpenNASS) in Nigeria. This was based on my belief that an open government is just lip-service if you do not have open data. And via sustained effort, the National Assembly for the first time, released details of its 2017 budget.
In 2015, I led the development of the concept which resulted in the setup and inauguration of the Youth Parliament and Democracy Club in Cross River State.
Also, during the Governorship elections in Edo State in Nigeria, I led a monitoring and evaluation exercise to assess the effectiveness of trained political party agents. This was a high value assessment and the results are expected to build upon current gains towards making party agents more effective in their delegated duties during elections.
Most recently, alongside other youth influencers, I participated in a youth forum organized by the European Union (EU) in Nigeria to debate hot topics for the forthcoming 5th Africa-EU Summit. Our discussions focused on outlining priorities for Nigerian youth, our challenges and solutions, and the role of the EU in actualizing these.
TNIS: Well done sir! It’s almost impossible to talk about development without talking about the Youth AND technology. What are the implications of Technology (or the lack thereof) to Nigeria’s development?
Eta Uso: Let’s talk Data! Nigeria cannot ignore the importance of technology in nation growth, particularly in the sense of data gathering and analysis. In today’s fast paced and technology driven world that we live in, data has become the basis for competition, innovation and growth – therefore, ignoring technology means ignoring the ability to gather and analyse big data and both are intertwined. Therefore, as a nation, we cannot afford the implications of the lack of technology as that would mean shutting ourselves out of the ‘oxygen of nation growth’.
TNIS: Back to the youth, kindly shed more light on the ‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ bill – the progress so far and your expectations moving forward.
Eta Uso: First, the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill is a bill which seeks to reduce the constitutional age requirement from 40 to 30 years for someone seeking the office of the President in Nigeria; 35 to 30 years for Governorship and Senate; and 30 to 25 years for the Federal House of Representatives and State Houses of Assemblies.
Currently, the bill has passed second reading and has been committed to the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review.
My expectation is simple. Nigerian youth have already proven to be invaluable parties in advancing meaningful solutions across various sectors of our economy. Therefore, the passage of this bill will open the door for us to bring same values and capacity into the politics and governance of our country.
TNIS: What would you tell the naysayers who think that the Nigerian youth are not ready to handle the reins of leadership and governance?
Eta Uso: Simple – the naysayers are wrong!
TNIS: What is the Nigeria you see?
Eta Uso: I see a great Nigeria with leadership across all levels that is representative of our dominant youth and women population.
TNIS: Finally, what would you tell young Nigerians who feel that nothing good can come out of Nigeria?
Eta Uso: They are wrong as well. However, I will add that thought is free and only those who have hope can aspire. I will ask that they rekindle their hope and take inspiration from young Nigerians who are already succeeding at carving paths for themselves in different sectors.
TNIS: Thank you very much Mr Eta Uso for your time - it has been inspiring and encouraging.
In a nutshell, the youth have a stake in this Nation and it's time to take responsibility.
Thanks again.
#ProudlyNigerian
I'd like to introduce Mr. Eta Uso, a young global citizen committed to the advancement of freedom and democracy in Nigeria and beyond. Here's our conversation. Enjoy!
TNIS: Tell us about yourself and what you do
Eta Uso: I am a man of few words as you would soon get to know in the course of this interview. Therefore, in few words, I am currently working in Nigeria to strengthen political parties’ internal democracy, as well as foster greater political inclusion and social rights for marginalized constituencies (women, youth and persons with disabilities) within Nigeria’s diverse population.
Eta Uso: Exclusion! I am motivated because politically, I am marginalized. The youth of Nigeria are marginalized. Our young women are marginalized. Our fellow citizens living with disabilities are marginalized. The exclusion of these indispensable groups is what keeps me up at night. Therefore, our exclusion fuels my passion for inclusion. And this passion will never die because the quest for inclusion is only the first step. We are not coming only for a seat at the table, we are coming for the table itself. And taking inspiration from the ages of leaders of France, Luxemburg, Belgium and Canada, I have never been more reminded, that a leadership structure that is representative of our youth dominated population is possible.
TNIS: As a youth, what projects (in relation to politics and governance) have you embarked on so far and what has been the outcome of such?
Eta Uso: To state a few, not too long ago, I partnered with a range of development agencies to advocate for an open national assembly (#OpenNASS) in Nigeria. This was based on my belief that an open government is just lip-service if you do not have open data. And via sustained effort, the National Assembly for the first time, released details of its 2017 budget.
In 2015, I led the development of the concept which resulted in the setup and inauguration of the Youth Parliament and Democracy Club in Cross River State.
Also, during the Governorship elections in Edo State in Nigeria, I led a monitoring and evaluation exercise to assess the effectiveness of trained political party agents. This was a high value assessment and the results are expected to build upon current gains towards making party agents more effective in their delegated duties during elections.
Most recently, alongside other youth influencers, I participated in a youth forum organized by the European Union (EU) in Nigeria to debate hot topics for the forthcoming 5th Africa-EU Summit. Our discussions focused on outlining priorities for Nigerian youth, our challenges and solutions, and the role of the EU in actualizing these.
TNIS: Well done sir! It’s almost impossible to talk about development without talking about the Youth AND technology. What are the implications of Technology (or the lack thereof) to Nigeria’s development?
Eta Uso: Let’s talk Data! Nigeria cannot ignore the importance of technology in nation growth, particularly in the sense of data gathering and analysis. In today’s fast paced and technology driven world that we live in, data has become the basis for competition, innovation and growth – therefore, ignoring technology means ignoring the ability to gather and analyse big data and both are intertwined. Therefore, as a nation, we cannot afford the implications of the lack of technology as that would mean shutting ourselves out of the ‘oxygen of nation growth’.
TNIS: Back to the youth, kindly shed more light on the ‘Not-Too-Young-To-Run’ bill – the progress so far and your expectations moving forward.
Eta Uso: First, the Not-Too-Young-To-Run bill is a bill which seeks to reduce the constitutional age requirement from 40 to 30 years for someone seeking the office of the President in Nigeria; 35 to 30 years for Governorship and Senate; and 30 to 25 years for the Federal House of Representatives and State Houses of Assemblies.
Currently, the bill has passed second reading and has been committed to the Ad-hoc Committee on Constitution Review.
My expectation is simple. Nigerian youth have already proven to be invaluable parties in advancing meaningful solutions across various sectors of our economy. Therefore, the passage of this bill will open the door for us to bring same values and capacity into the politics and governance of our country.
TNIS: What would you tell the naysayers who think that the Nigerian youth are not ready to handle the reins of leadership and governance?
Eta Uso: Simple – the naysayers are wrong!
TNIS: What is the Nigeria you see?
Eta Uso: I see a great Nigeria with leadership across all levels that is representative of our dominant youth and women population.
TNIS: Finally, what would you tell young Nigerians who feel that nothing good can come out of Nigeria?
Eta Uso: They are wrong as well. However, I will add that thought is free and only those who have hope can aspire. I will ask that they rekindle their hope and take inspiration from young Nigerians who are already succeeding at carving paths for themselves in different sectors.
TNIS: Thank you very much Mr Eta Uso for your time - it has been inspiring and encouraging.
In a nutshell, the youth have a stake in this Nation and it's time to take responsibility.
Thanks again.
#ProudlyNigerian
Excellent Mr. Uso, a few months ago a friend and I spoke about the future of Nigeria, and we predicted that in a short time, we will see a lot of young person holding influential positions in government, who would have known that the pieces are already put in play by individuals like yourself.
ReplyDeleteNigerians key to the future it has always dreamed of is the inclusion of its women, youth disabled. Key word here, INCLUSION.