NIGERIA: Nigerian youths could play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the 2027 general election, with their evolving attitudes towards politics, government and institutions expected to shape electoral choices, a new report has said.
The report, produced by public relations and communications consulting firm Chain Reactions Africa, urged political leaders, government institutions and businesses to pay closer attention to the changing expectations and behaviour of young Nigerians.
The findings were contained in the firm’s latest youth trends and culture intelligence report, titled “Youth Futures 2026: A Culture Intelligence Report on African Youth,” which was unveiled on Wednesday at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, reports The Guardian.
The presentation brought together young Nigerians, creatives, culture-shapers, marketing professionals, government representatives and other stakeholders.
Speaking at the event, the Managing Director and Chief Strategist of Chain Reactions Africa, Israel Opayemi, said young Nigerians could no longer be treated merely as an electoral constituency to be courted during election campaigns.
He urged political leaders and government institutions at all levels to study the report and develop a deeper understanding of the experiences and expectations shaping the younger generation.
According to Opayemi, data from the Independent National Electoral Commission showed that Nigerians aged 18 to 34 accounted for 37,060,399 of the 93,469,008 registered voters in the 2023 general election, representing 39.65 per cent of the registered electorate.
He said the figure demonstrated the potential influence of young voters on the 2027 election if they participate in significant numbers.
“This is a significant number that can potentially determine the outcome of the 2027 elections if they turn out in good number to vote again,” Opayemi said.
He also drew attention to what he described as a growing gap between the speed at which youth culture and expectations evolve and the pace at which institutions respond.
“Culture now moves in hours and days, brands respond in weeks and months, and government policy in months and years,” he said.
Opayemi said government and businesses needed to incorporate cultural intelligence into policymaking and decision-making rather than relying on studies after problems had already emerged.
He also referenced the #EndSARS protests, saying the 2020 demonstrations had changed how many young Nigerians viewed and evaluated the state.
According to him, the experience left a generation with an evidence-based framework for assessing government conduct, making visible and measurable changes important in rebuilding confidence.
However, the Executive Vice President, Strategy and Innovation at Chain Reactions Africa, Franklin Ozekhome, said the report also identified opportunities for rebuilding trust among young Nigerians.
Ozekhome cited the digitalisation of tax processes by the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), visible infrastructure delivered by some state governments and government agencies that respond to public complaints with concrete resolutions as examples of how trust could be strengthened.
He said young Nigerians were not merely consumers or participants in the economy but were increasingly influencing industries, communities and cultural trends.
“Young people are not simply participants in the economy; they actively shape how industries evolve, how communities form, and how culture travels. The decisions young people make today will influence the decade ahead,” he said.
Ozekhome further characterised the generation’s relationship with authority through what he described as four paradoxes: “Intimacy Without Trust, Visibility Without Safety, Belief Without Institutions and Mobility Without Arrival.”
The report’s findings come as political parties and candidates begin positioning themselves for the 2027 elections, with youth participation, economic conditions, governance and trust in public institutions likely to remain important issues in the electoral environment.
