2027: Why the Youth Share of Voters Has Dropped, According to INEC

INEC chairman Joash Amupitan said young people make up 29.79% of the voter register being prepared for Nigeria’s 2027 general election, down from 39.65% in 2023. He attributed the decline mainly to voters who were aged 18 to 34 in 2023 having since moved into older age groups, rather than to reduced interest in elections among young people. He spoke at the INEC Campus Debate final, won by the University of Jos, followed by Bayero University Kano, the University of Ibadan and the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. INEC holds the debates to address voter apathy and improve young people’s understanding of the electoral process.