₦airaland Forum

THE NIGERIAN YOUTH AND THE POLITICAL QUEST (part 1)

The youth and their role in the economy and governance is a constant subject for discussion. This is not a surprise considering that they constitute the bulk of the population and really, much depends on them economically and politically. They are the major suppliers of labour in the economy and their vote decides who wins or lose in any election. The age of a youth being a bone of contention in many quarters, I’ll adopt the age range of 18-45 for the purpose of this article.
All is not well with the Nigerian youth. Despite being fit and agile, a vast majority of them are still unemployed. A stroll along any street in a major Nigerian city would offer a glimpse of the terrible lot that has befallen the youths of this country. Offered the worst form of education in the most terrible imaginable condition and having to search in vain for almost non-existent jobs after graduation, some frustrated youths resort to crime. The militancy in the Niger Delta and the Boko Haram insurgency in the North are not unconnected to the terrible plight of the youths of this country.
To state the obvious, the Nigerian youths are the biggest victims of the oppressive political and economic order of the Nigerian society. It needs no mention that the ruling class in this country continues to monopolise the access to the honey and milk that overflows in this country. Undeniably, Nigeria is a country of immense economic means and a potential economic power house with enough wealth to circulate her citizens. But unfortunately, the fate of the Nigerian masses (majorly youths) is perfectly pictured in the following lines of S.T. Coleridge’s Rime of The Ancient Mariner:
“water, water, everywhere,
Nor any drop to drink.”
In the face of growing economic hardship experienced by Nigerians, the youths of the country has a pressing task of turning the tables against the old oppressive class of politicians and capitalists. The responsibility now begs attention more than ever. The Nigerian youths have to take charge, and now, as they are the leaders of today. A critical observation and evaluation would however reveal that the Nigerian youths of today lack the zeal and character to make this happen. It is not their fault. The oppressive class makes sure they never get access to the necessary standard of education to stir a revolution in them. Henry Brougham has rightly stated that “to educate a nation makes its people easy to lead but difficult to drive, easy to govern but impossible to enslave.” One realises then the motive behind the underfunding of public education in the country.
This is not enough excuse anyway, as failure to act would ensure further and total unavailability of quality education to the Nigerian youths. Change is inevitable and it must begin now. The Nigerian youth must start to reason in line with the following words of the America’s declaration of independence: “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness; that when governments are destructive of these ends as evidenced by bad faith, it the duty of the citizens to abolish these governments.”
Removal of oppressive anti-masses governments is not unprecedented in human history. There is the example of the American revolution of 1776 that removed the oppressive British colonial regime, the French revolution of 1789 that removed the despotic monarchy and the oppressive class order, also the Russian revolution of 1917 saw the end of the backward Tsar government. All these were movements of the youth mass and all marked turn-arounds in the history of those nations. The Nigerian youth must do away with the mind-set that a revolution can only be bloody. While the examples above might have been, times have changed and the youths of this age have in their possession powerful tools capable of forcing a peaceful transformation. The American civil rights movement of the 1950s-60s achieved success using a peaceful method of civil disobedience. Several media and methods of agitation is available today to the Nigerian youth.
The Nigerian youths must stand up now and flush out the oppressive elements from the government of this country. They must take perfect charge of their destiny and start the move towards the economic emancipation of the nation. THE FUTURE IS OURS

Akinwumi Kayode O.
Atanda Bolaji O

Progressive Youth Movement
Solarpgm@gmail.com

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