To achieve meaningful change in Nigeria, you need to seek political power – Osinbajo

“But the truth is that for the depth and scale of change that is required in developing countries, political power is required," Mr Osinbajo said.

Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo emphasised the importance of active participation in politics and seek political power to drive meaningful change in developing countries.

Speaking at the 6th Technology, New Media, Citizens, and Governance (TNCG) Conference in Lagos, Mr Osinbajo argued that avoiding politics will not achieve change in critical areas of concern.

According to Mr Osinbajo, the scale of change required in developing countries requires political power.

He said, “But the truth is that for the depth and scale of change that is required in developing countries, political power is required.

“The puritan stance of the elite, which of course includes those in the civil societies, is that we should not get our hands dirty in politics. This will not achieve change at a scale in any important area of concern.”

Role of elite in political action

Mr Osinbajo said the civil society has a vital role in driving change in the society.

“Political action must lead somewhere. It must move a step closer to resolving the issues that cripple our society. The role of the elite in political action is crucial. And when I say the elite in this room, I speak of civil society,” he said.

According to Mr Osinbajo, the elite, the civil society, possesses the required resources and networks to drive meaningful political change.

“They have the networks and the resources to build coalitions in political change, often leading to structural reforms, the type of political change that makes a real difference now,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of self-regulation on social media to prevent government control from impairing free speech, urging civil society organisations to develop a social compact for responsible use of social media.

TNCG conference

This year’s theme of the TNCG conference, ‘Technology: The Present and Future of Political Action in Africa,’ aligns with Africa’s current political landscape and how elections have evolved, according to the organisers: BudgIT and Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria.

The event featured notable speakers including Head, Stears Open Data (American in Nigeria), Hannah Kates; Deputy Minister of Communications and Digital Transformation Technologies (South Africa), Mondli Gungubele; and Co-Chair, Africans Rising Movement Coordinating Collective (Kenya), Mutemi Wai Kiama.

In his opening remarks, the Country Director of Budgit, Gabriel Okeowo, emphasised the importance of leveraging technology to drive political transformation across Africa.

“This platform is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to drive political transformation across Africa,” he said.

“Today, we gather to explore how we can collectively leverage our strengths to engage positively with governments and play our roles as active citizens or institutions.”

The Executive Director of Enough is Enough Nigeria, Opeyemi Adamolekun, gave the history and evolution of the conference from 2012, acknowledging the role and support of partners like Luminate and Paradigm Initiative.