Amanuel Tesfaye, University of Helsinki; Clement Sefa-Nyarko, King’s College London; John Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University, and Olawale Bestoyin Kareem, University of Lagos

The UK is moving to lower its voting age from 18 to 16. The new legislation takes effect ahead of the country’s next general election in 2029, and is aimed at boosting its democracy. The move has ignited global debate: should 16-year-olds be trusted with the ballot?

For African countries, where young people make up the majority of the population but often feel shut out of politics, the question is especially pressing. We spoke to political researchers from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria for their views.

Amanuel Tesfaye, Doctoral Researcher, University of Helsinki; Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa, King’s College London; John Mukum Mbaku, Professor, Weber State University, and Olawale Bestoyin Kareem, Lecturer, Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos

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