The Not-Too-Young-To-Run Act was the culmination of months of painstaking midnight meetings, consultations with relevant stakeholders and committee roundtable sessions.

The new law reduces the eligibility age limit of election of candidates; and has the capacity to substantially increase the number of young people participating in the politics of their nation.

Essentially, you had to be 40 years of age to run for the office of president. With the new Act, you can run for the office of president at age 35.

At age 25, you can run for a House of Representatives seat. You had to be 30 years of age to seek the position of House of Reps, before Buhari’s assent.

For the bill to become law, Sections 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the 1999 constitution were amended. The bill also scaled through the constitutionally required two thirds of the State House of Assemblies.

Buhari was surrounded by 36 young Nigerians representing the 36 States of the federation, when the bill was signed into law.

Afterwards, Saraki said he “appreciates the contribution of young people to the development of our democracy and will continue to work closely with young people across the country in order to make Nigeria a better place for all."

More young people participated in the 2019 election than at any other time in Nigeria’s history, thanks to the Act.

Throughout the life of the 8th senate, Saraki and his colleagues continued to push forward youth-centered agenda. The senate president was particularly enthused by the very idea of having young people run for office and play more active roles in the politics of their nation.

In October of 2017, the senate held a roundtable dialogue on youth unemployment and development in the country.

Saraki said at the time that the idea of a youth roundtable became necessary in order to review the efficacy of policies, programmes and other interventions intended to reduce the political marginalisation of young people who make up the biggest demography of the country’s population.

Saraki had said: “Youth development has serious political, economic and social implications for the Nigerian society.

“This is a critical issue that requires the collaboration of government, the private sector and civil society. All must come together to listen, discuss and better understand how central youth development is to our country’s overall stability and national security.

“For this reason, the Senate has decided to conduct a roundtable to hear from the public and private sector, ideas for moving the issue of youth development to the center of the national discussion about Nigeria’s political and economic future.''

The senate president had also noted that “not only is Nigeria changing, but the world is rapidly becoming more competitive and technologically advanced.”

In July of 2018, Saraki met with winners of the Obama foundation leadership program to discuss youth entrepreneurship and job creation.

The young leaders who attended the dialogue were from the financial, new media, renewable energy, education, entrepreneurship and health sectors of the economy.

During the dialogue, the senate president commended the young leaders for the roles they continue to play in creating opportunities for young people and bridging the unemployment gap for government.

The senate on Saraki’s watch also passed the CAMA (Companies and Allied Matters Act) a pro-business piece of legislation that will make the registration of new business easier for young people.

CAMA would also ease online transactions and in the process, make loans readily accessible for young people.

In April of 2018, Saraki visited the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Kwara State over the death of Miss Hilda Amadi who had passed on while fulfilling her mandatory one year service to her nation.

“I heard about the tragic passing of Miss Hilda Amadi earlier this week at the NYSC Camp in Kwara. So, this afternoon, I went to spend some time with the Corps Members at the camp to reassure them that their safety, wellbeing and development remains our priority”, Saraki said afterwards.

Throughout his stewardship, Saraki displayed an uncommon love for young people, advancing policies that would favour them and encouraging them not to give up on their country, at every opportunity.

It is little wonder that he was also loved by the young while his stint as president of the 8th senate lasted. Saraki exits the stage as probably the most youth-loving senate president since Nigeria’s return to democratic governance in 1999. 

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