Blame not our youths
This piece was inspired by the Facebook post of Musician Skidd Ikemefuna saying that Satan was on rampage against our youths.
While I am not competent to dispute that claim, I dare say that society has indeed failed our youths.
Please what options do they have?
For the avoidance of doubt, today the opportunities open to our youths are riding of Okada, talent shows and thuggery.
What were the opportunities, we had as youths?
You may not believe it but in 1977, to work as a bank teller, what you needed was a minimum of a Pass in Mathematics at WAEC level.
There were numerous sports competitions and scholarships. As a secondary school leaver you got a Government job paying more than working in a department store. There were numerous options for youths.
Some of those options are today the envy of University graduates.
How did we miss it?
As our population grew, the capacity of our leaders to think shrank and their appetite for looting grew.
As the problems mounted, the mountain of money stolen grew.
Today, there are no jobs but western countries churn out new products, and we quickly grab them.
While our appetite for luxury grew, the opportunities available for social mobility of our youths declined.
In our time Ikoyi was the ultimate and a secondary school boy could earn allowance playing football for amateur clubs, today it is Banana Island and youths have no playgrounds in their schools to even exercise, much less get a club.
The clubs are dead because their owners are either gasping for survival like John Holt or dead like Kingsway.
Today the most readily available jobs for youths are biking and driving. Even these jobs receive little or no support from the Government.
With so much luxury being thrown about by politicians and their cronies to the neglect of the youths, gambling and crime beckon and they obey.
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Well Said Sir. Your blog is with a difference.
ReplyDeleteThank you indeed
DeleteShrinking opportunities, bad leadership, fewer jobs and unbridled appetite for foreign goods are indeed the lots of the youths in Nigeria today.
ReplyDeleteMoral fabrics of the society is broken the looting spree of our politicians and the bad leadership of our leaders have left the country rudderless.
The biggest industry for the youths is fraud industry known as in local parlance as 419, through yahoo, yahoo and Yahoo+
This frightening and more damaging because a Society build on deceit and fraudulence activities can never be built on equity, freedom, justice and equal opportunities.
We are in a catch 22 situation. To correct this malaise Nigeria urgently needs to restructure or perish.
Well said. Thank you.
DeleteYou are quite right. So sad indeed.
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteElder P, thanks for this publication.
ReplyDeleteI am an advocate of a better economy. Once we get the economics right, agitations and kidnapping will reduce.
You have highlighted how Nigeria got to this states. For us to get out of the mess, the youth are needed because they have the numbers. Nigeria Population is a growing one. This has a lot of economic implications (planning, production etc). The youth need to be determined and get involved in Politics. The youth need to stop being used for Political thuggery.
I agreed 100% that Nigeria is long overdue for restructuring. I want the Country to remains but each region to be independent by having regional structures (economy, governance, army, police etc). The central will be ceremonial and for international events.
Enough of the deceit.
You hit the nail on the head!
Delete