Securing the Future of Nigerian Youths
Without doubt, youths are the foundation of positive and negative picture of any society. Their energies, inventiveness, character and orientation define the pace of development and security of a nation. Through their creative talents and labour power, a nation makes giant strides in economic development and socio-political attainment.
In all societies of the world, virile youth is the bedrock on which national integration and development is predicated. The youths are the backbone and the building blocks of any nation. It is a fact that the stronger the youth, the more developed a nation is. The role of the youth in the nation-building process cannot be overemphasised as countries that develop and utilise their youths in the right direction seem to be more developed. The energy and brightness of the minds of youths act as torch-bearer for a nation. There is a confirmed connection between the prosperity of a nation and its youth development system.
It is in the reality of this that many nations have made concerted efforts in galvanizing integrated approach in putting in place youth development structures that have a very high propensity to be a catalyst for their national growth. Is our present administration doing the same? No. On the contrary, the countries which fail to realise the importance of the youth lag behind in every aspects of life. It is a known fact that youths possess a transformative force. We are creative, resourceful and enthusiast agents of change. Therefore, the need for youth to be listened to and productively engaged cannot be over-emphasized in every context. Youths can determine whether this era moves towards a great peril and more positive change. Let us support the young people of our world so that they can grow into adults and a true platform for more powerful leaders of coming generations.
Unfortunately, Nigerian youths are not given the needed platform to freely express themselves. Though they have always been touted as ‘future leaders’ since God knows when, our nation clearly needs a spiritual or physical veil remover for us to act the saying ‘the future is now’ for us to stop saying the potential leaders of tomorrow are too young to lead alongside other flimsy excuses.
Around the world, there is a growing recognition of the need to strengthen policies and investments involving young people. We need a properly marshalled policy aimed at harnessing the innate and budding potential of the youths of Nigeria. In Nigeria, the youths almost do not have a voice in the scheme of things. Rather we were criticised by our own President, Muhammadu Buhari through his comment that Nigerian youths are lazy
Buhari, during a panel discussion at the Commonwealth Business Forum in Westminster, London said many Nigerian youths are uneducated, not ready to work and dependent on revenue from oil to survive. The question is what has he done presently in his government to empower the youths of Nigeria? The unemployment, lack of opportunities, faulty educational system, repressive political system, dwindling economic fortunes, among others, are mostly responsible for the suppression of the voice of the youths in our dear nation Nigeria.
However, it must be emphasised that the Nigerian youths need to be more focussed, creative and disciplined if they are to actually become real agents of change in the country.
Owete is a student of the University of Maiduguri