Should African countries lower the voting age to 16? Views from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria
For African countries, where young people make up the majority of the population but often feel shut out of politics, the question is especially pressing.
The UK is moving to lower its voting age from 18 to 16.
The new legislation takes effect ahead of the country’s next general election in 2029, and is aimed at boosting its democracy. The move has ignited global debate: should 16-year-olds be trusted with the ballot?
More To Read
- Judiciary announces tougher festive season road safety checks
- Family protests secret cremation of Kenyan engineer who died in Mozambique
- UN urges Ethiopia and Eritrea to respect border pact amid rising tensions
- Djibouti confirms Eritrea’s formal exit from IGAD regional bloc
- Ghana expels three Israelis over Ben Gurion Airport detentions
- Peace on paper, pain in reality: Tigray’s forgotten suffering, struggle for justice
For African countries, where young people make up the majority of the population but often feel shut out of politics, the question is especially pressing. We spoke to political researchers from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria for their views.
Amanuel Tesfaye, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki; Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa, King's College London; John Mukum Mbaku, Professor, Weber State University, and Olawale Bestoyin Kareem, Lecturer, Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Top Stories Today
