Youths: The only way for brighter future

Permit me to start this article with a popular saying that goes ‘whatever is worth having is worth dying for.’ We all yearn for a better Nigerian deal in every sphere of our lives but how many of us are ready to fight for it with the last drop of our blood? Show me a man who has achieved greatness and I will show you a man who has refused to be defeated by a seemingly impossible situation, even death. In as much I am not trying to incite people to fight the people in government, I think whatever is worth having is worth dying for. If we need a better Nigeria then now is the time to take our fate in our hands and fight for it.

According to an article dated November 19, 2016, on Bloomberg, Nigerian population now stands at 182 million with more than half of its people less than 30 years of age, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s forecast for this year, despite this population surge, is that the West African gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to shrink by 1.7 per cent. Although the aforementioned statistic is in retrospect, you will agree with me that same is still being witnessed today. The population growth is spiralling with a huge number of the youths with no employment or underemployment.

Consequently, the already outstretched security infrastructures have to battle crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, political thuggery, public and private facilities vandalism, cybercrimes, civil unrest, suicide, etc. These social crimes are indicators of a failed system and there is a need to either change the system or the people running it. Some people may want to argue that some youths are doing legitimate businesses under this same system. Yes, I agree, but we must not forget that the tendency to commit a crime as a means of survival differs from person to person. We must strive as a nation to create an enabling environment for all to thrive as they do in the developed climes where we all want to travel to, even our leaders at the slightest feeling of a headache.

People make nations great by creating growth focused policies, making adequate plans for the future and commitment to achieve the plans. As a nation, we have failed in this area. An average Nigerian leader in any position today look to amass wealth for himself while there is no future plan or at best a ‘paper plan’ without any commitment made for our collective future.

The only definition of insanity, as they say, is doing a thing same way and be expecting a different result. Many years have passed since the country has gotten independence and we have little or nothing to show that we can take good care of ourselves. The present political experiment is not different as no improvement has been recorded in any sector except in telecoms and banking. Even the two sectors are yet to imbibe the global best practices. To this end, one factor has been constant throughout these years and that is, the same set of people in uniform, ‘agbada’ or caftan has been leading the country. I asked myself a question: Does it mean that this is the best this country can offer? The answer I got was no, as we have Nigerians from all ethnicities and tribes doing great both at home and abroad.

But one thing is common to these so called leaders that have refused to leave our political stage and that is, they come out to be elected into these positions while the rest of us watch them or at best talk ‘politics’. Those that fail to win through the ballot can use the youths to unleash mayhem on the society. This has been the trend and only the youths can initiate a sustainable change.

In and outside this country I have seen youths between the ages of 18 and 45 doing great and mighty in education, business, research development, government, etc. Of course, we have a lot of youths within this bracket who are involved in crimes. But as you will agree with me that it is easier to do legitimate work than to carry a gun to shoot your way into a banking hall. Although I am not trying to justify people committing crimes, when people have other and safe means of making legitimate income then crime becomes unattractive.

Nigerian youths today can take over the affairs of this country through our electoral system by working together. We can register a political party and try to elect the bright, hardworking and credible youths to govern us come 2019. We have the number, energy, resources and what have you to take our country back from these cabals. This is a fight we can win if we are ready to get into the ring. We can make life better for ourselves, future generations, and black people anywhere in the world. I see a Nigeria where black people can be proud of, a country that shows the way out of the present darkness in the black continent and a Nigeria whose citizens can be respected anywhere in the world. Aren’t these what we want? Yes, we can achieve them and yes it is possible!