Youths and Development in Nigeria.

 

While surfing through the internet months ago, I came across a report by Mc. KInsey a leading consulting firm in the world. This report stated that by 2050 "NIgeria's greatest export will not be crude oil but human capital." Having gone through this report , I asked myself a defining question taking cognizance  of the grammaitical bunder; What type of export will Nigerian youths be in 2050? On 12th may 2012, an article by Still Africa, a leading journalistic firm known for astute journalism, projected that by 2050, "Nigerian youths will comprise 28% of her population." This report shows the enormous responsibility of the government to effectively utilize her youthful potentials. The report went further stating that the best policies that must be promoted must be targeted at ensuring the empowerment of the youth. It should be noteworthy that such recommendations are not finding their way to Aso rock for the first time. But, when you have a nation bereft of a better understanding of her youthful potentials and the plight of her citizens, the results are not far fetched from the sadonic and baleful experiences of our dear nation.

One major factor that I find as a stumbling block to a realistic national development is the mobility of our youths. A recent study shows that the youths in sub saharan Africa are the most mobile set of people in the world, and Nigeria, a major country loosing her youths to foreign and neighbouring countries like Ghana. This report reminds me of the lyrics of one of Nigeria great soul musician; Beautiful Nubia, which says "...i see them in europe, America and all over the world looking for home..." The true state of our nation can not be far fetch from that lyrics. Surprisingly, our youths who have achieved unco stride in music, literature, sport etc.  internationally tend to see themselves as more foreign than Nigerian. They spend ample time meandering in foreign lands in the name of professionalism while their hamlet is being fleeced by rudders who call themselves leaders, paddling our nation to extinction.

A few months ago, the name of a book came to my mind; The anatomy of female power and I remembered the author and one of Nigerias most celebrated critics of the 1980's and early 1990's, a man who had no surname: Professor Chinweizu. I sought to know his whereabouts. The responses I got were that he seemed to be residing in Ghana. I was stupefied!!! my response was; "Ghana? Why Ghana for such a brain like Chinweizu and not Nigeria?" I got no answers.

When I look at the literary-world, it shocks me to know that a 82 years old home grown African icon and Africa's highest selling author like Chinua Achebe still resides in US when he should be in his hometown Ogidi receiving visitors like an oracle and advising our youths on how best to hone their literary skills rather than faxing an ethnically tense memo. Have we sat down as a Nation to ask ourself how often our award winning authors like Helon Habila, Ben Okri, Chimamanda Adichie and others frequent their homelands? or do we care to know when our celebarted Bill Gate of Africa (Phillip Emeagwali) will eventually settle in Nigeria? When next you see Chimamnda Adichie remind her that it took people like Camara Laye for her to believe she could exist in the literary world when her books were taking ginger beer.Therefore it also takes her input for the Nigeria-girl dropping out of school at an obnoxious rate to believe in herself that the future holds invaluable resources for her. When this happens and our celebrated heroes sees themselves with the bifocal lense of professionalism and responsibility to mentor and motivate the youths in acheiving their conceive dreams; we will as a nation in the eyes foreign observers experience a shift from what Chimamanda Adichie described as the single story  to what Chinua Achebe called a balance of story.

I've heard our elders talk about the good old days and the glorious beginning of this nation. Well, my history classes never lend a young mind like mine the existence of such a beginning than the military repression, coup de 'tat and senseless wars that deluged us. But, picking the brain of our elders and their testimonies of the historical beginning of this nation, I tend to understand that there was a nation with a glorious beginning. If there was a glorious beginning, I'm not mindful to include that there were glorious youths setting the pace for such an enviable past. What do we say of our head of states who where in their mid 30's driving the wheel of such an epoch- making past. I think history has given us insight to the invaluable height our nation can reach if we effectively engage our youths and give them the right environment with excellent equanimity for them to effect growth.

Many analysts have attributed the lack of development in Nigeria to failed policies, lack of true federalism, corrupt government officials etc. As much as i tend to identify with those factors, it behoves me to emphasize that the true identity of a nation stems from the thought pattern her citizen consistently hold. Many youth have become advocates of the retrogessive cliche " Youths are leaders of tomorrow" when we know that the prophets of our past and the library of the present never prophesied or gave thesis of a future. Many youth lack the ideal mindset relevant to place this nation in its right place and  as Edgar Roberts rightly put it "every mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by keen desire and by definte resolution." The slumbering power of our youths needs to be awakened by definite reslolution on their part not to settle for anything less, they need to see themselves as an entity of change responsible to this nation. They need to see themselves far beyond the prejudice of religion and ethnicity.  

By: Edet Samuel