Where are the Nigerian youths?

 Whatever happened to Nigerian

youths?

Is it increase in life expectancy or the refusal of the old to quit the stage?

I recall a funny incident in Abuja. An old Politician had been invited to Abuja for a national conference. This South West Politician, well into his 80s was enthusiastically greeted by the managing Director of a Nigerian Financial Institution who was a lady.

The lady had gleefully informed this Politician who is a medical Practitioner that she was informed that she was born in the man's hospital.

Of course, the lady was disappointed because the man could not make sense of what she was saying.

Pray, what sort of contribution was expected from the man. It is believed that most politicians always look forward to the next election.

I believe this man was invited for his potential electoral value and for nothing else.

Nigeria's history is full of men and women who had a headstart in life. Perhaps this has to do with our colonial past, whereby we were mostly hewers of wood and drawers of water until much later when our young men took over the reins of power.

In the military for example, the colonial Officers had to give way to our young men. The young men took over and took time in reaching retirement age.

Meanwhile in between, coups happened and with a taste of Political power, tastes and career paths changed.

Retired Generals became politicians. Retired civil servants too. 

Instead of building schools and industries they were building mansions and foreign bank accounts.

Patriotism took a back seat as the immediate post colonial politicians sought more to replace the departing colonial masters in their Government Reserved Areas instead of lifting their people to the level of the advanced countries where they studied.

It beats me hollow how our leaders fail to make our land as liveable as places where they hide our patrimony.

When before the advent of Global System of Mobile Communication in Nigeria, it was said that pepper sellers in Benin Republic were using mobile phones, it sounded like a fat lie but events later proved this to be true.

Our youths have been divided by military rule. Our leaders are sending their children to go live abroad after studying there.

Who then succeeds our generation? Like our football, perhaps the future will belong to Nigerians in diaspora but do they want to live here?

Well, the good news is that just like white ladies are suckers for lying tongues that claim to be born into wealth, any young man guaranteed limitless access to the national till will be interested.

But the question is, if such promises would make our children come back home, who will make the sacrifice that will see to our rapid national transformation?