Abstract
Globally, electing political leaders into various offices in a country is seen as a very serious business and one that should be participated in by those citizens and inhabitants who are legally qualified to do so. This paper, adopting the doctrinal and comparative research methods or approaches, appraises the current voting age in Nigeria which is statutorily pegged at 18 by the Electoral Act, 2022 and the positions in such jurisdictions like Argentina, Austria, Germany, Brazil, Cuba, Scotland, Wales, Ecuador, etc. This paper finds that in many of the other jurisdictions examined, the voting age has been reduced to either 16 or 17, and in some, voting has been made mandatory with regard to specific elections and specific posts. It is the contention and conclusion of this paper that Nigeria has
lessons to learn from the countries examined herein with regard to voting age and voting cum electioneering policies. On the whole, the paper advocates a reduction in the current age of 18 to 16 years as practised in the jurisdictions examined. It further recommends the possibility of extending franchise to all students of tertiary institutions of learning even though they may be less than the statutory voting age herein canvassed, all persons who are gainfully and legitimately employed in the private or public sector, and all those artisans who are now masters in their various trades.
Keywords: Voting age, Elections, Nigeria, Electoral Act.