© 2015 Research Academy of Social Sciences http://www.rassweb.com 168 Studies in Social Sciences and Humanities Vol. 3, No. 4, 2015, 168-810 Undergraduate Perception of Political Participation in Nigeria Michael I. Ogu 1 , Peace E. Inyang 2 Abstract This study was aimed at investigating the perception of undergraduates on political participation in Nigeria. The study found out that undergraduates participate in politics and are aware of the various means of participating in politics, as well as believe that the participation of undergraduates in politics has an impact in national development. The study also found out that undergraduates believe they are left out of political office positions, and only used as an instrument for electoral violence by the political elites. It was further discovered that unemployment and inadequate political education, among other factors, limits the undergraduate participation in politics. The study recommends that undergraduates be engaged in all aspect of politics. A reorientation programme is setup for youths, where awareness is created for them to participate in politics. 1. Introduction Young people are arguably dubbed the future of every society, hence, their involvement in virtually all aspects of society; social, economic, military, politics, among others, is crucial and cannot be overemphasized. For a nation to experience remarkable economic, social and political growth, special attention must be given to the youths. Nigerian youths seem to be faced, presently, with social and economic problems which are limiting their potentials to contribute meaningfully to national development, among such challenges include cultism, prostitution, and unemployment, inadequate education, to mention but a few. These challenges have arguably also inhibited their ability to participate activity in politics, especially since the inception of democracy in Nigeria in 1999; certain elites have continued to dominate the Nigerian political landscape. Several years since the enthronement of democracy via the fourth republic in Nigeria, the country has arguably continued to suffer colossal socio-economic and political challenges characterized by poverty, unemployment, destitution, infrastructural decay and insecurity, among others. Young people are agile and full of ideas, and it is expected that they provide effective antidotes to the enormous problems facing the country. Tijani (2013) describes them as the indispensable and dynamic portion of the population of any nation. They are the incubators and the driving force for innovation, change and progress in all human activities especially politics (Prey and Agnes, 2011). In view of this, their immense energy and drive must be tactfully packaged and employed towards playing a constructive role in the process of governance and development of the society (Dogona et al, 2013). Youth involvement in politics can be traced to the United State of America in the 20 th century, following the formation of the American Youth Congress in the 1930s. By the 1950s and 1960s, more young people were already involved in politics in USA; political organizations like the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee and Students for a Democratic Society were formed to create a platform for more young people to participate in politics, as well as protect the interest of students and youths generally in America. Youth involvement in American politics seemed to have led to the emergence of popular American leaders like Martin Luther king Jr., Tom Hayden, Marian Wright Edelman, Bill Clinton, among others. On the African continent, the reserve seems to be the case. Although a few young people are involved in politics, and 1 Department of Political Science and Public Administration Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria 2 Department of Political Science and Public Administration Babcock University, Ogun State, Nigeria