1. NIGERIA POPULATION & POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

2. POLITICAL PARTICIPATION

3. The last population census in Nigeria was conducted in 2006; which puts our population figure at approximately 140million. According to our law, another census will hold in 2 years time, since we practise democracy, which is a game of number, our population counts for who would like to govern at each level of government. Equally important is the participation of Nigerians in the electioneering process. In order to vote and be voted for, 18years is the minimum, how have we fared in terms of awareness and participating in the process that elect those who govern us local, state and federal governments? This study takes a look at Nigeria population, political participation since the start of Democracy in 1999 and an estimate of the 2014 projected population, and hopefully to create awareness on the need to be more involved in the electioneering process.

4. PRELIMINARY ASSUMPTION Nigeria Population Growth rate is fixed at an approximate value of 2.8% per year, this same figure is also used to calculate the population figures back from 2006 to 1999, the year we held our first elections of this present republic. 140,431,790 105,712,923 175,150,084 1999 2006 2014

5. VOTING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION YEAR POPULATION 0 17YRS 18YRS & ABOVE 1996 105,712,923 51,016,043 54,696,880 1997 108,758,151 52,485,641 56,272,510 1998 111,891,102 53,997,573 57,893,529 1999 115,114,302 55,553,058 59,561,244 2000 118,430,352 57,153,352 61,277,000 2001 121,841,926 58,799,745 63,042,181 2002 125,351,776 60,493,565 64,858,211 2003 128,962,732 62,236,178 66,726,555 2004 132,677,708 64,028,990 68,648,719 2005 136,499,700 65,873,446 70,626,254 2006 140,431,790 67,771,035 72,660,755 2007 144,363,880 69,668,624 74,695,256 2008 148,406,069 71,619,345 76,786,723 2009 152,561,439 73,624,687 78,936,752 2010 156,833,159 75,686,178 81,146,981 2011 161,224,487 77,805,391 83,419,096 2012 165,738,773 79,983,942 85,754,831 2013 170,379,459 82,223,493 88,155,966 2014 175,150,084 84,525,750 90,624,333

6. VOTING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION YEAR POPULATION 18YRS & ABOVE REGISTERED VOTERS 1999 115,114,302 59,561,244 57,938,945 2003 128,962,732 66,726,555 60,823,022 2007 144,363,880 74,695,256 61,567,036 2011 161,224,487 83,419,096 73,528,040 2014 175,150,084 90,624,333 ? ? ? YEAR POPULATION 18YRS & ABOVE % 1999 115,114,302 59,561,244 51.74 2003 128,962,732 66,726,555 2007 144,363,880 74,695,256 2011 161,224,487 83,419,096 2014 175,150,084 90,624,333 YEAR 18YRS & ABOVE REGISTERED VOTERS % 1999 59,561,244 57,938,945 97.28 2003 66,726,555 60,823,022 91.15 2007 74,695,256 61,567,036 82.42 2011 83,419,096 73,528,040 88.14 2014 90,624,333 ? ? ? 97% Political participation in 1999 dropped to 88% in 2011 Note: 2014 data is selected because 2015 elections holds in Feb 2015.

7. 2014 ESTIMATED REGISTERED VOTERS YEAR 18YRS & ABOVE REGISTERED VOTERS % DIFF 1999 59,561,244 57,938,945 97.28 1,622,299 2003 66,726,555 60,823,022 91.15 5,903,533 2007 74,695,256 61,567,036 82.42 13,128,220 2011 83,419,096 73,528,040 88.14 9,891,056 2014 90,624,333 ? ? ? 9 4 % 5,437,460 85,186,873

8. EFFECTIVE VOTING POPULATION YEAR POPULATION REGISTERED VOTERS VOTERS % A % B 1999 115,114,302 57,938,945 30,280,052 52.26 26.30 2003 128,962,732 60,823,022 42,018,735 69.08 32.58 2007 144,363,880 61,567,036 35,708,881 58.00 24.74 2011 161,224,487 73,528,040 39,469,484 53.68 24.48 2014 175,150,084 85,186,873 52,545,025 61.68 30.00 VOTERS TURNOUT/ELECTION VOTERS TURNOUT/POPULATION Percentage of Registered voters that voted Percentage of the population that voted With an assumed VOTER TURNOUT value of 30% in 2015, it is expected that 52.5million voters will be recorded.

9. Clearly, on the average, less than 30% of the population votes and decides who govern the Nation! Picture: www.istockphoto.com

10. YOUTH POPULATION According to the National Youth Development Policy, the youth comprises of all young persons of ages 1835, who are citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria YEAR YOUTH 1996 33,511,535 1997 34,476,888 1998 35,470,049 1999 36,491,820 2000 37,543,025 2001 38,624,511 2002 39,737,152 2003 40,881,843 2004 42,059,510 2005 43,271,100 2006 44,517,593 2007 45,764,086 2008 47,045,480 2009 48,362,753 2010 49,716,911 2011 51,108,984 2012 52,540,036 2013 54,011,157 2014 55,523,469 YEAR YOUTH 1999 36,491,820 2003 40,881,843 2007 45,764,086 2011 51,108,984 2014 55,523,469

11. YOUTH POPULATION YEAR POPULATION YOUTH % VOTERS REG. VOTERS % 1999 115,114,302 36,491,820 31.7 30,280,052 57,938,945 62.98 2003 128,962,732 40,881,843 42,018,735 60,823,022 67.21 2007 144,363,880 45,764,086 35,708,881 61,567,036 74.33 2011 161,224,487 51,108,984 39,469,484 73,528,040 69.51 2014 175,150,084 55,523,469 52,545,025 85,186,873 65.18 The Youth population is: approximately 32% of the Nations population on the average, over 67% of registered voters greater than the Voting population (