YOUTH AS AN AGENT OF POSITIVE CHANGE
In the process of building an enabling, viable and prosperous environment, youth need to be path. This is because youth are the bedrock of any viable society. The role of youth in decision making can not be over-emphasized thus, no nation can developed beyond the quality of youth it produce nor parade as case may be. Any nation that denies its youth the necessary enabling environment in the process of building a solid society does so at it own risk Any nation that is energies, resourcefulness, creativity and maintain good orientation achieved all this as a total commitment of its youth toward the above measure.
Accordingly, have being ask to speak on youth as an agent of positive change by a very good friend of mine to commemorate her birthday anniversary. Firstly I shall speak briefly on youth as an agent of positive change by hyphenating some important key words and propose what needed to be done to become positive change agent in the Nigeria context.
Youth,Agent of positive change.
According to my dictionary define youth on the basis of chronological age, as anyone below 40 years of age or the state/period of being young. Within this broad categories of youth according to age,social class, cultural back ground, faith and ideological persuasion. The point am making here is that youth is not homogeneous category it has to deal with contextual in changing circumstances cum mentally alertness.
Change agent is define as anyone who intervene in a problem solving effort of social group or organization or an individual who lead change. positive change is euphemism for development usher in a better dispensation. To furthermore expand this point, change would not exist without dissatisfaction of ideas on issue bothering us. This means change is created due to dissatisfaction with individual, government on issue bothering us collectively or in persons. The participant of a situation that out the action in the situation. It entails individual or corporate initiative springing from within, even if its triggered by external stimuli either positive or negative. However, our area of focus is positive change. the one that is progressive, purposeful, edifying and developmental to our common well being.
A community/ society can only be productivity, peaceful, resourcefulness and security stable if and only the youth imbibe those afore mentioned quality thus, youth are the engine room of any viable society. Therefore the role youth in making a society stable and peaceful can not be overemphasized. This is because in any society, youth constitute the chunk of larger percentage.
Right from time in memorial youth has been very instrumental, during colonial era, apartheid era and pre-independence youth as demonstrate different role at different situation. During colonial era in Nigeria,youth were very instrumental in struggle to sustain independence. During this era, youth constitute different pressure group,drum support for independence and not only that they sought for end to colonialism in Africa and Installed it leadership.The likes of Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu kano,Samuel Akinsanya, Ernest okoli were at their youth age when they lead this struggle, form pressure group,rid off our nation off colonialism. During this era, youth are united with one voice through a combination of nationalistic leadership, multi sectoral policy, changes strategies reform accounted for the success record But now are day, the case is totally different, youth that suppose to be a dreamer,great scholar,distinguish doctor, obelisk engineer have lost hope and dash away their rich dream instead searching for quick alternative to make money. African is the youngest continent on the planet with highest percentage of youth as it stakeholders (AFDB 2011) .With the majority of occupant of Africa continent tips to be youth, The youth population should be an added advantage, blessing rather than curse but unfortunately the reverse is the case. Youth has constitute nuisance to the society at large.Youth that suppose to be a path in solving problem are even the one worsening the situation by rallying around a problem. Youth of now are days has given up and allow politicians to use one group against another to the detriment of one self. Its dishearten to see youth who suppose to be an agent of change are leaving a worthless life, playing, gamble, kidnappers, smoker, heavy drunker, rapist and arm robber. Where is the future of Africa lies?
Unlike yesteryears that youth had little access to information, youth of this present generation has nothing to show for the abundant of resource (information) at their disposal. Them seem to be to lazy to dream, lazy to purse vibrant future instead searching for miracle or short cut as available platform to get rich at all cost.
It can be argue that youth in general are the product of their society, its system, workability and process of socialization. To that extent , youth play a pivotal role in sustainability of a moral and economy balance society.
Not quite long, Vice President of federal republic of Nigeria, prof Yemi Osinbanio on his twitter handle gave a very challenge excuse why Nigerian youth were not include in the ministerial nominee that they couldn't find an outstanding, outclass youth to form a cabinet is a challenge excuse that youth need to think about in other to brace up and wake up from slumber to avoid future occurrence. Despite the mere known fact that Nigerian youth are 2:3 of Nigeria population with the population of over 60,000,000 million persons, yet government couldn't get just a single outclass and prodigy's youth to nominate as a minister what a shame to Nigerian youth hood.
The quality of youth Nigeria produce is far below average unless something dramatic is done on our part, government to alienate this issue the future of Africa is at stake. Nigeria government must wake up from slumber and address this issue by engaging Nigerian youth in a seminar, workshop,conference of mind and begin to reward the best among the youth as away of boosting moral of individual to key into vision of Nigeria. Nigeria youth has neither been given a sense of belonging and fair deal nor been equipped for the leadership role as a change agent in our society. Government need to address issues of disruption of academic calendar facing our education sector due to unending series of strike, poor funding of eduction, poor reward for honest endeavor in a political economy dominated by worship of money and erosion of time honoured among all if we are to sustain positive change in our society.
The loss of discipline in our society has naturally give birth to generation of problematic youth that want to excel with out paying the prize attached to success. The point am making here is that youth need to take the paradigm by exercising initiative in overcoming problem facing us collectively and other constraint which hamper the progress of individual and hamper our potential.
In this age of globalization certain action needed to be erode in our life if truly we are ready to pay the prize of becoming an agent of positive change.
We need to do away with culture of celebrating mediocre that could hamstring youth development. We need to practically demonstrate against things that affect our collectively well being by unite in voice and collectively rise up against such action through nation wide peaceful protest.
The youth should take responsibility of current plight bevelling us in other to channel for common solution. To join other change agent, the following excessiveness needs to be address.
1) Culture if impunity, nepotism favourites, peculiarities,s
ectionalism and miscarriage of justices need to be address among youth. Youth needs to treat fellow being with respect irrespective of culture and religious diverse.
2) Mentality of get rich quickly without considering the hard work,scarifies needed to fulfil in other to unleash the potential endowed on you to the universe instead keeping searching for short cut,abuse of social media, committing violence, defrauding innocent soul, playing gamble and sort of short cut available to mankind.
3) Culture of competing with western world. Dressing nude,unethical adoption of negative foreign influence, doing all sort of things that has no place in our cultural belief, religion.
4) Poor rewarding, or lack of motivation for excellence in school,home and office. Non governmental organization, government and individual personality need to revive the tradition of rewarding hardworking pay by extolling the virtue of excellence among the youth who have excel in their chosen field.
5) Promotion of mediocrity needs to put a stop, status quo needs to be challenge by asking questions when such needed to be asked.
6) The habit of this can not work need to be stop, poor reading habit,lack of intellectual curiosity and examination malpractice need to be address. Taking responsibility and transforming Nigeria youth into agents of positive change.
I think at this point what is left for me is to propose dynamic ways in which youth needed to adopt to tour the part of positive change agent to safe our hand off water.
1) As a youth we need to channel our energy, resource to play a pivotal role in creating a better environment through community development programs such as by engaging in community work, keeping government properties clean and safe.
2) Exercises personal initiative to shun youth excessiveness e.g lead a campaign against examination malpractice,drug pusher and all things that can jeopardy peace. Promote self policing against anti moral behavior e.g pipe vandalism, illegal electricity connect.
3) Dare to shake your generation by touring different path and dare to be different by being a role model and discipline oriented. Do not join crowd to do evil or compound problem instead be a think thinker and initiate a solution to a problems
4) Youth need to prepared at all time with mindset of defeating problem that we meet on our way to land if greatness. As a youth, challenge suppose to be insurmountable therefore we need to be creative in mind and seen problem as an opportunity to try more.
4) Be creative in approach, visionary and taking a successful step at a time. follow your heart and positive dream.
5)Clearly define goals and objective
6)Think big, think and act beyond narrow or sectional/self interest;envision the desired positive change and clearly define how you fit into achieving it. Be part of solution not problem.
7)Be a good follower,understand that to play a leadership role, youth has to learn to be a good follower but it doesn't amount to uncritical one's. Where a leader need to be challenge we must endeavor to challenge such leader.
Have a strong positive role model and good mentorship to walk you through and endeavor to develop a good civic engagement to your environment.
9) Developed a positive mindset toward work and endeavor to develop of i can do it mindset even if it's you are not sure.
9) Learn from other people's experience who had scale through the bridge you are planning to climb.
10) Take a practical step at a time to explore your potential.
11) Understand the reason why you take up the challenge.
12) Always be cheerful.
Conclusion
Youth is a very dynamic adventure endeavor to use the opportunity to unleashed your blemishes color to the whole world.Take your dream at a step understand that too often great to start small don't be discouraged by initials hiccup, bite what you can sew at a time, stay to your dream, join the league of positive change agent and make a different.
Thanks wishes you happy reading.
Signed.
Adediji Wasiu

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