Where and when did we exactly get it wrong?
This question has become some sort of cliché of
lamentation when considering many areas of
failures in Nigeria. Interestingly, this question
presupposed a time when we got it right. This
question pops up again in my mind after my chat
with a 300 level Nigerian undergraduate. In this
instance, the cliché borders on the sense of
responsibility vis-a-vis the age of responsibility
and its spiritual and social consequences.

I inquired of a 300 level student what her plans
were after graduation and Youth service and her
answer was typical of some Nigerian students,
which was “Ah plans ke? Am still young o.” She
was twenty/nineteen years old. She was right,
she was young but was she that young as to not
have a good plan about the next three years of
her life? It got me thinking again, at what age do
we accept responsibility in Nigeria? No doubt,
there is relativeness of age, by that I mean,
there are circumstances when a 70 year old will
be considered young and 40 year old will be
considered too old. This age relativity is
everywhere. Marco Rubio, a senator of the
republican party of the United States of America
and an aspirant for the presidential ticket is by
my judgement the most brilliant of the republican
candidates. But the rumor on the street is that
he is too young to become a president, he may
be a vice – president and learn the ropes. He is
44 years old. The feeling is that, the country is
not ready for another Obama-like age group as a
president. However, he has taken up the
responsibility of marriage since 1998, when he
was age, 27 and was a member of house of
representative since 2,000, when he was age
29/30.

Martin Luther king Jr, was assassinated at the
age of 39, he had led the Montgomery bus
boycott at the age of 26, (1955), he delivered his
“I have a dream” speech at the age of 34. 1963,
he was at that age a force in the large American
society. Martin Luther was already a father of
four children before his death. There are millions
of Marco Rubio and Martin Luther around the
world, who have set their priorities early in life
and took up responsibilities with both hands.

If the above stories are far from us, let us come
home to the story of the recently enthroned Ooni
of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Adewusi, on whose hands
and custody rest the tradition of a whole race,
the Yoruba race. He was forty years old. He
couldn’t have been Ooni only because he was a
successful business magnate. In addition, he had
responsibility of a family which he had early
enough and even earlier than socially accepted,
by that, he trained himself to be responsible, to
lead and to be taken seriously as someone ready
to engage the world.

My intention is not to fill up this piece with lots
of young financially successful men and women
but rather to begin to deconstruct this popular
fallacious idea among Nigerian young adult, “Am
still young” and begin to create a sense of
urgency that “tempus fugit”. Many of our parents
who may not have been popular like the Ooni of
ife, Martin Luther king and Marco Rubio had the
same sense of urgency like these men. At the
age of 25/26/27, they were students (studying
abroad or University of Ibadan), workers (even
menial jobs on the streets of London) husbands
or wives, and were even paying their parents bills
back at home.

It is so disturbing these days when you meet
young men in their thirties, some of whom lack
creativity, waiting for government job vacancies
and had no plans about raising families. This is
not because they hope to be celibate but
because they believe they are still young.
Whereas in other climes, at age of 18 or 21, you
are considered old enough to be responsible for
yourself. And if I am right, Nigeria recognizes 18
years as the voting age and 21 years as the
University graduation age.

This is the logic, our parents were not self -
sufficient before they entered into marriage in
their mid-twenties and late twenties. However,
they knew rightly that with their little income
with which they paid their school fees, feed
themselves, care for their child, and send little to
their parents, that marriage straightens you up,
put some challenges on your plate and makes
you grow faster. As such, if God blesses one’s
plans and efforts, and one is done with the hard
work of raising children early enough, one can sit
back and be relaxed during their retirement. The
point is that they (our parents) had plans, that
was why some of them that entered into politics
and the military were ready to lead in their early
thirties and mid- thirties.

The consequence of lack of early involvement in
responsibility is obvious in our politics and
governance. There were not many in the likes of
Dimeji Bankole who was a speaker in his thirties.
Rather we had leaders who were in their sixties
and seventies. As such a Man in his late
twenties in a political office other than a
personal assistant will be strange.

This in return has created an atmosphere where
men in their thirties are still considered ‘boys’ or
youths, whereas in other climes, they are called
young adults. This problem is also reflected in
Church’s age categorization, where a youth
president is a man in his late thirties and an
ordained priest in his thirties is considered too
young to lead a parish. So when will these
people grow? The irony here is that, mid- age in
Nigeria should have shifted from 40/50 to 25
because life expectancy has shortened to 49. A
twenty five year old man or woman in our clime
because of our health infrastructural problems
should be considered mid- age and matured.

Statistics have shown that many young Nigerian
men in their mid- thirties will likely use their
retirement benefits to raise their last child. A
man that marries at the age of 35 years, with
plan for three children (if God permits) and a two
year space period will likely have his last child
when he turns 39/40. Many children finish
university education at the age of 21, if he/she
gains admission at 17. At this point the father is
60/61. If he is a government employee, he should
be retired. What this means is that any prolonged
schooling or delayed admission for the last child
can put the innocent child at risk of some
financial stress. This scenario can be worse
financially, if schooling is two or more years
delayed. Moreover, mentally and biologically,
parenting becomes more difficult at a certain
age. This is obvious at times in the children
raised by grand-parents, because mental
alertness is reduced, compact parenting is
challenged and children are raised “spoilt.” Eli
was a holy man but his sons were scoundrels.
His rebuke about their Promiscuities were futile
because he was too old. (cf. 1 Sam, 2:22).

Raising a family for those that will choose such
life is never about self –sufficiency; nothing like
that exists. It is about getting serious with life
early enough with sense of urgency because
time flies! Whatever is worth doing at all, is
worth planning for. Many lay the blame of their
irresponsibility on the inability of government to
provide Jobs, these are people still going through
dependent- syndrome. Even a blind man can see
that the country is messed up. Government job
opportunities are non- existent as at now but, it
is also said, scarcity is the mother of invention.

This “am still young” syndrome, has translated
into having too many ‘babies” in their late
twenties, late thirties among Nigerian men and
women who are therefore not trained and
prepared for responsibility and leadership on a
big stage.

To avoid the repeated problems of accidental
leaders in our country and delayed leadership by
the young adult, we need men and women who
set out early enough and plan to take up
responsibility. Those who are responsible for and
with their own lives, thus train themselves to
take up responsibility in the larger community.

Aristole said “Men who will lead the people
should first lead themselves.” If Gen. Yakubu
Gowon was 32 when he became Head of States,
Chief Awolowo became premier at 43, Chief
Anthony Enahoro moved a motion for Nigeria
independence in 1953 at 30 years old, then you
can do the same. Many notable world leaders
made innovative discoveries around this age.
Infact, David was 30 years when he became a
king, (2 Sam, 5:4). Jesus Christ started his
mission at the age of 30 years. (Lk 3:23). The
bible says … Lacks experience of the word of
righteousness for he is a child, but solid food is
for the mature, for those whose faculties are
trained by practice to discern good and
evil’ (Heb. 5:13-14).

So what are you waiting for? Grow up brother/sister!!!

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