USA Africa Dialogue Series - Nigerian youths and national challenges

Nigerian youths and national challenges

KAYODE KETEFE

Certain recent developments within the polity predisposed me to think once again about the potentials of Nigerian youths and young men vis-à-vis the stereotypes being generated to undermine them. To start with, when President Muhammadu Buhari eventually announced his list of Minister, not a few people felt the palpable omission of young enterprising Nigerians among the ministers-to-be was a misnomer.
This omission certainly could not be because there are no capable young Nigerians s being insinuated in some quarters.
However, almost about the same time, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, announced his Commissioners, and lo and behold, the list gave ample slots to accomplished young professionals who had proven their mettle in their respective calling. That seems encouraging enough.
Then, the news of the new Ooni of Ife rocked the airwaves and we were told that the new person to be crowned King of the ancient city was no other person that a 40-year-old Accountant in the person of Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. That obviously is another plus for the Nigerian youths and young adults
The development made me to ponder about the youths and young adults in the Nigeria, especially in relation challenges facing them, their potentials, disillusionment. The issue kept hovering on my mind – the thoughts eventually culminated in the decision to once again cast my creative eyes in their direction - to plead their cause and identify where the adults have failed in their responsibilities towards them and also to proffer what can be done to improve their plight.
To start with, the Nigerian youths are among the most talented humanity. Countless number of feats posted across the entire gamut of human endeavours are clear pointers to this fact. In the field of sports, the Nigeria youths are constant stars with light blazing in glorious achievements all over the global landscape.
Using football as a synecdoche for sporting accomplishments, from the time Nduka Ngbade led a team of school boys to capture the first ever cadet World Cup in the competition then known as FIFA/JVC U-16 World Tournament that took place in China in 1985, the youths have simply been irrepressible in their quest for honours for fatherland. Between that time and now, the youths of this nation have in their kitty four golden U-17 World Cups and two silvers and they are still counting because another set of Golden Eaglets is still battling at the World Cup in Chile!; at the U-20 level, the youths have two silvers and a bronze. Add these to Olympic gold medal and Olympic silver, without even considering countless glories at the continental level, and the question would arise "How many countries can boast of these achievements at the youth level?
On the intellectual front, writers like Chimamanda Adichie and prodigies like Oluwatosin Helen Otitoju, who shattered the records at the Howard University, graduating with First Class in Electrical Engineering and set numerous other records in her post graduate studies, have all contributed in drawing attention to superlative talents of our youths.
But in spite of all these, it is unfortunate that the system has suffocated the youths – the older generations have managed the affairs of the country into such a state that the youth are left with minimal opportunities. They grow up in hostile environment suffused with corruption, unemployment, insecurity, moral decadence et al. Majority of them embrace the grim realities of unemployment or acute under-employment upon graduation from tertiary institutions. This comprehensive frustration explains why some of them are misled into secret cultism, fraudulent activities and other forms of criminality.
The entire system is infected with cancer of corruption; while the hopelessly outnumbered upright ones wait perpetually for the great oncologist that would undertake the surgical removal of the malignant cells, in the meantime the metastatic tumor keeps spreading with devastating consequences.
Transparency in the public life is an elusive virtue. In the field of politics, self-serving corrupt politicians are brimming in large number, frantically looking for the access to public funds to loot without compunction. Even in the religious circle, for every genuine man or woman of God, there are hundred charlatans who are nothing but "spiritual highwaymen" posturing as the angels of light with the mission to exploit the poor and loot the gullible.
Certainly, our system is wanting of genuine role models who can re-orientate the youths towards the path of righteousness and imbue them with self-esteem and courage to exploit their God-given talents for individual and collective progress.
The current generation of rulers needs to reflect on how to re-orientate the youths by developing a comprehensive national programme tailored both to the ends of cultural liberation and economic empowerment. This proposed systemic youth mobilisation for a better Nigeria must be anchored on general national moral rebirth for it to work; for the youth must see that there is transparency and honesty in the system before they would emulate. Agreed this cannot be achieved overnight, let us, at least begin the journey for moral liberation now with sincerity of purpose.

Ketefe may be followed on twitter @Ketesco




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