The Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF) has urged African governments to prioritise inclusive governance and empower citizens to determine their political future, as the world marked the 2026 International Day of Democracy.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Foundation’s Communications Officer, Wealth Dickson Ominabo, said democracy must extend beyond the ‘periodic ritual of elections’ to guarantee fundamental rights, expanded freedoms and shared prosperity for all citizens.
GJF Executive Director Ann Iyonu said this year’s theme, ‘Raising Hands and Voices: Fostering Agency and Ownership through Deliberative Democracy,’ reflected the foundation’s core mission and programming.
The foundation said it has championed deliberative governance through initiatives such as its annual Democracy Dialogue, national peace conferences and electoral mediation missions across West Africa.
‘Democracy is only meaningful when it serves all citizens and places the people at the centre of governance,’ the statement said.
GJF called on governments and stakeholders to build a society where citizens’ voices count, where people actively decide who governs them and how, and where every individual can help shape their nation’s governance.
‘In doing so, we can build a society that is peaceful, just and egalitarian,’ the statement said.