Youth And Nation Building – A case study of Nigeria

There’s no gain saying the fact that the youths form an integral part of our society, nation, country and state. I choose to blog on this topic because of a light heated conversation which centered on Nigerian Youths and Leadership on social media about 24 hours ago and again, I narrowed it down to Nigeria as this will help  send the right and desired message. Again, I think and feel its hi-time the youths realize who they are, and what they can offer to the society in this 21st century.
Its pertinent to note that for a country, nation, state or society to thrive, they should have the youths are the back of their mind if not on the front. Regardless of what it is, they youths should be seen in the larger picture. As the saying goes… ‘The youths are the leaders of tomorrow”. If this statement is true, them the youths  ought to be at the center of any issues pertaining to the development of their country and their  well being. Many civilized and advanced countries have taken advantage of this concept in order to take their country to the next level. No wonder they have invested heavily in  Research and Development, skills acquisition and vocational training. They have also discovered that, education per se only, is not a yardstick for one one to be productive and successful in life. They have therefor resorted to other ways/avenue to improvise in order to ensure productivity in both in the economy and man power development. However, the story seems to be different with third world countries where Nigeria is part of. Nigerian leaders I must fail have failed . By this I mean two thirds of the leaders who have ruled the country. They have no plan for the youths, they only think of themselves as supposed to thinking for the future of the country and the youths.  In the words of  John F. Kennedy’s during his Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961, he said ”Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You but what can you can do for your country” This goes to say that, the leaders of any country that wants to move their country to the  next stage must see themselves as servant leaders and opposed to warlords whom their subjects must be worship. In America for example, their leaders strive hard hard day and night to make the country a better place, but the citizens seem to believe their efforts is not good enough. Now, contrast this Nigeria and most third country countries where their leaders are looking for avenues to amass wealth for themselves, in addition to slicing the throat of their for them to die, rather the citizens have refused to die. Sounds funny right? But that’s the truth.
And now comes the big question, where is the place of the youths in nation building?  Youths all over the world have a unique role to play in the developmental affairs of their countries ranging from government, social- political, cultural, education etc. In civilized system, the government have been able to provide enabling opportunities for them to thrive. They do this by creating a conducive environment which promotes and encourages interested folks to learn in addition to providing infrastructural facilities. Also, they believe in skills acquisition and productivity. They do this by encouraging anyone who possess this skill. It is by so doing the youths contribute to nation building and are regardless as experts later in their life before they reach the age of 40 depending on when they start. Now let’s contrast this with third world country- a case study of Nigeria. Its no doubt that, two thirds of the leaders don’t have the youths  at heart. They fail to prepare the youths for the task ahead. No vocational centers for learning, no training to acquire skills acquisition, no encouragement either in form of moral or financial. Put it in a nutshell, they don’t have the youth in their picture forgetting that, failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
By 2030, Nigeria is estimated to be one of the few countries in the world that will likely have a bountiful supply of young workers. Out of a current projected population of 169 million Nigerians, young people account for over 43 percent of the population. What this means is that there are currently over 72 million young people in the country. Thus, youth, more than oil, could be Nigeria’s asset in the following decades, depending on how this demographic reality is managed.
it is indeed mind boggling  and disturbing  that, there appears to be no strategic plan towards tapping the great potentials hidden in a growing youth population. With a current youth unemployment rate of up to 50 percent, the growing menace of kidnap cases perpetrated by disgruntled youths, massive recruitment of young people into terrorist gangs and the ever growing number of desperate young people willing to become thugs for self seeking politicians, this worry is not misplaced.
Having taking a tour on the holistic view of the  place of the youths in nation building, the radar now changes to  the youths occupying their rightful place in Nigeria? In order to effectively answer the question, the place of youths, its important to start with this the quote of Benjamin Franklin — ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Yes, the ball has now shifted to the youths. I ask, are you doing what you what to do in order to assume the desired positions and leadership you have always wished and aspired to be in. I agree the  government needs to provide the enabling environment in other for the youths and all concerned parties to thrive. I ask again, what are you doing now in order to get to that desired positions.  This brings me to the question to the little heated conversation that reared its ugly head yesterday where a fellow youths said the presents youths of Nigeria are not ripe to take the mantle of leadership- they have to wait. I was stunned by that statement and hence comes this blog. I can agree if he spoke positively the youths are not prepared for the task ahead because they are lacking the necessary skills and vocational training need to effective do their job. For the sake of uninformed readers, this conversation started by a post on concerning the recruitment of prospective individuals by the  Nigerian Immigration Service. Although, I gave him reasons why the youths are more than qualified, he was still bent on his points. It is a face that 1/3 of most folks who applied for the immigration job lacked the desired skills and training required. Yes, I agree having a degree is a plus, but there’ more to that when employers are hiring. They look at what each candidate can offer. what will they bring to the table; how productive are they? What have they done/achieved, what makes them more resourceful and valuable when compared to other individuals competing for the same job.  Again, its a fact that most of this folks would be better utilized and resourceful if they acquire skills or vocation training as this will make them more productive in their host community.
Alternatively , one can say as you make your bed so you lie on it.  Nigerian youths and youths all over the world should cultivate the habit of thinking outside the box. Apart from the government’s failure to facilitate this process, I implore the youths all over the world to improvise on ways to ensure sustainability. You can’t just be doing the  samething everyday and expect a different result. Its is because of creativity that Mark Zukerbeg wh is just 29 changed the face of the world by creating Facebook. S, I believe we have more than capable hands to be an entrepreneur as opposed to waiting for waiting for white collar jobs.
According to Thomas Edison ” If we did all we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves . I wonder  my where good friend found his thought/idea that Nigerian youths are not yet ripe for leadership positions. According to Marianne Williamson  “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. I believe given every equal opportunity every person is a potential achiever because we don’t have dull brains only brains undeveloped. It is simply because the youths have chosen to lay low to the demands expected of them, that they are left out in the scheme of things.
Taking the lead is not always easy, however its possible if we believe in ourselves. According to Anatole France, “To accomplish great things. we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also  believe. The journey of 1000 miles indeed starts with a step in the right direction. We must take charge of our destiny. According to Barack Obama “We are the change we seek”
I am not concerned about the yesterday’ men who ruled in their 20′s. 30′s 40′s  as the case may be, I strongly believe  in the present. Yesterday is past, today is present/gift and  tomorrow is a mystery. According to the Greg Anderson, “I believe in the dream of what might be is more important than the record of what has been, we must however be serious about that vision”  Just like my learned friends will say, ” Justice should not  only be seen to be done, but it should be manifestly seen to be done. Apportioning blame will lead you to nowhere, you must assume responsibilities by fixing the problem.   You might think its hard judging from the look of things in the polity and the realistic view of achieving this feat, be advised  L.P Jacks had this to say ” The pessimistic sees the difficulty in every opportunity; the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. I really believe there’s light at the end of the tunnel if only we can be steadfast.
Moving closer to the realistic goal requires perseverance no doubt, a lot of courage, curiosity, confidence and constancy as this will shape how we decide to take our possession from our failed leaders. Lin Yutang opined ” It is not so much what we believe in that matters, as the way in which you believe it and proceed to translate that belief into action. Its a fact a fact, passion is stronger than power. Therefore, the Nigerian youths needs to move in an positive aggressive mood to posses their possession. We have to picture ourselves sand our society how we want it to be in 5, 10, 20 years from now, and how will be will do it really matter. The time to start is now!
Finally, Lyndon Johnson nailed it ” The test before us as a  people is not whether our commitments match our will and courage, but whether we have the will and courage to match our commitments. Therefore folks, I implore each and every one of you adopt to practice the wise words of Albert Einstein ” We have to do the best that we can. This is our sacred responsibility” The future belongs to us and it is only to the measure we push/work hard for it, it will never come to us. Just like the proverbial saying of Martin Luther King  Jnr. ”Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” – Martin Luther King.