NIGERIAN YOUTH: A WAKE UP CALL

“Parents listen to your children,
We are the leaders of tomorrow,
Try to pay our school fees,
And give us sound education”

That was one of the common songs in my primary school days, conferring leadership to the children or future youths, and that was over two decades ago.
If each us were asked to point out one reason why that song is yet to be a reality today, I am sure we would mention more than a thousand reasons. Yes, the same leaders then are still the ones occupying those top positions.
I once asked a friend of mine this question that I am about to ask YOU now; ‘Do you think that Nigeria would be any better if the Nigerian youths of today are the ones in top leadership positions?’
Seriously, we need to shift our gaze from blaming our political leaders to addressing the issues with the common Nigerian youth. The Nigerian youth today is even more corrupt than the acclaimed corrupt leaders and this is attributable to so many factors.


There is a dire need for re-orientation and paradigm shift in our minds. We are youths; full of strength and pizazz, we need to start thinking about how WE can solve our own problems because only then can we really be fit to solve the Nigeria problems.

Tertiary education period is a period of transition from family membership to societal membership. It is a period when the youth is actively exposed and prepared for societal duties, thus, it is at this time that the youth gets the opportunity of getting involved in some real life socio-praxis activities (such as politics) as a prolegomenon to the after-campus life.
In tertiary institutions today, what are the youth doing? Can we really be trusted with the future of this country? Many Nigerian youth are frivols, living as otioses. We have unconsciously set misguided priorities for ourselves.

How well are our leaders of student unions and associations doing on campuses?

The student union leaders, who are supposed to, in addition to generating creative and innovative ideas for school managements on how to propel the school forward with respect to student matters and promoting discipline, academic excellence and positioning their followers (students) for the future (which is now), has seized the opportunity availed them by their union to milk the union, serve as coverage for promotion of cultism, hooliganism etc.


Student unionism was, on creation in 1925, meant to be, among other developmental functions, effective and progressive in line with the nature and place of tertiary institutions as a strategic resource for production of ideas and manpower for societal growth.
Many acclaimed union leaders of today have become followers-they follow the existing trends without questioning the status quo. Leaders who are supposed to be change agents have become mediocrist for fear of disapprobation among other things.

The greatest and first power of any leader is his ability to influence others. He is an influencer, he gets the vision and convincingly passes it to others and they collectively achieve it. As a change agent, he strives to ameliorate the status quo of the association by creating innovative ideas and passing the idea to the lead to collectively achieve it.
When the leader lacks the vision then it is worse than when a blind man leading the blind; it becomes a case of a blind man leading men who have functioning sights.

At this stage, we cannot afford to fold our arms and watch; we need to STOP TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS AND START ACTING TO SOLVE THEM. We the Nigerian youths must wake up from our slumber and DO SOMETHING. The upcoming generations will cause us if we fail to act NOW.
I am advocating for change, an individually-collective change.

What is the way forward? Share your suggestions.

Nigeria, a country where a man as old as my grandfather can contest as a president. But , vibrant youths, a little above 27 years of age are not allowed to serve the country in the capacity of police officers.