The Nigerian Youths In The Nigerian Dream!

It will be a sheer waste of ink to doubt the fact that the youths hold a critical and potent role in the overall development of any nation. For the sake of clearity, youths refer to those between ages 18 and 35. However, while history is replenished with tales of revolutions and social changes trigged by youths from several nations, the case in our country will pass for a tragic sonnet. Today, the Honourable minister of Youth and development, Bolaji Abdullahi, hosted a tweet-meet conference on twitter, to engage youths on issues affecting them. The apathy displayed by numerous youths on the social networking site who had a chance to contribute in formulating a blueprint for the Nigeria of our dreams, was one that beats the mind. Although about 500 youths were involved in the discussion, many others on the site appeared to be uninterested. It is a harsh reality that millions of Nigerian youths have lost absolute confidence on governace, and this trend is in dire need of a reversal. The youths cannot continue to just be content with being armchair critics or apolitical in nature. Perhaps, it is worth reminding ourselves that when time and age have caught up with the current crop of leaders, the challenge of leadership will be entrusted on our shoulders and the gauntlet will be thrown at us. To keep displaying apathy to national issues, will mean throwing our future to the wind. Beyond the frenzy entertainment offers, the youths must realize that their tommorow is much more imperative than the latest songs on the top ten billboard chart, and that his future counts more than the latest result of the el classico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The time to find our tamed and wrecked voice, is now. The time to train that voice and make it find it's unity, is now. The time to send a clear message with that voice, is now. The time to quit the lackadastical attitude and get interested in the polity of our nation, is now. If the Nigerian ship will flourish again, then we must be the captain in that precarious ocean.