YOUTH, NIGERIA AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES

  I begin with Nigeria: the community where abject poverty, limitless insecurity, perilous roads, indescrible lack of Medicare in hospitals, rampant tragic accidents on the highways, prostitution, pick-pocketing, freebooting, shoplifting and inflation mutilated the whole Institution, the whole community and the whole country! Let me ask a question: Who are you? Are you a patriot NIGERIAN or a rotten Apples that are leading the spirit of the future Nigeria into calamity, inequality, vulnerability, nudity, impersonality, and insurgency?  Believe me, we were officially born to this Nigeria by Allah in both the doctrines of Islam and Christianity! This, our biological differences, cultural backgrounds, Religious bigotry and political inclinations wil never be a reason to our underdevelopment. Economically, Nigeria is an Agricultural land! But we are yet to fight hunger and inadequate food, and of course poverty! Why? Leadership? Or our institution has broken down? Statistically, in Africa, nearly 420 million youth aged 15-35 are unemployed! And 13.9 million out are from Nigeria [National Bureau of Statistics NBS]. However, the rate of unemployment among Youth in Nigeria is yearly increasing, from 2008 [8.97%] to 2020 [14.17%]  (Statista by Plecher H. Oct. 27, 2020). And no body has yet work out, to overcome the difficult.

To my utter dismay, unemployment among Youth is a major causative agent of all what we are suffering today in Nigeria, and all over Africa! From the historical perspectives, most of the ethnic, Religious and Political crises in Nigeria and all African countries we have seen, were derived from unemployment among Youth. To deduce an examples: Boko Haram anti humane activities in North-East, Kidnapping in North-West, Armed Robbery in South-East and South-South, and kwacen waya in our local environment were come from unemployment! From other African countries like Rwanda [Hutu and Tusti ethinc clash], Central Africa [Religious clash], Sudan [Political clash] and many others, they are indeed derivatives of unemployment among Youth!  if we can go this way, then it is easy to take this country as us versus Youth, and it is easy dehumanize them, to treat them with contempt. Because we don't them.! We don't they are us! The future generation leaders and parents.

Of all African countries, Nigeria is the "Giant''. But we are still back at the square one, resulting from poor incompetent mismanagement of those in charge of our affairs. The rotten Political rulers that take our poor unemployed youth into calamity. To make our Youth great and competent into global standard; we must give them SKILL rather than knowledge! The skill that will motivate their respective innovation and creativity in all aspects of businesses. The skill that will give them an access to invent in Tailoring, Welding, Carpentry, Building, Barbing, Dyeing and many others. Most of us in both City and rural areas have got the knowledge, but we lack or no access to skill. Thus we are always expecting JOB OPPORTUNITY in the Nigerian Labour Market. At this juncture, I have to tell every youth [especially higher learning institute students] that; THERE IS NO JOB IN NIGERIA! Let us create and invent our source of income through the SCIENCE of our literacy and SKILL of our interaction! We are the future Nigerians, we musn't tolerate to live a life in neither happiness nor in stability! Happiness is an Energy, neither created nor destroyed! We are all human beings, creative, investors and future builders! 

 To make Nigeria great again, I'm strongly believe that; we must fight UNEMPLOYMENT! We must ensure that YOUTH were not re-involved in any of Ethnic clashes, Religious clashes and Political clashes. Nigeria as a country is decent. The bright possible future of this country is on our hands, my hand and your hand! To save Nigeria from division, every youth is expected to fight poverty and unemployment! Every body here and there must count Him self out of parmanent parasites in our respective communities. Every Nigerian Youth must have a skill on how to make five to be seven, and adopt the skill into real life. Our beloved mother Nigeria is the pride of all black races, we are expecting youth to guarantee the potential greatness of Nigeria by fighting UNEMPLOYMENT, drug abuses, stealing, arm robbery, insurgency, injustice and others. I'm strongly believe that, irrespective of our Religions [Islam and Christianity], Ethnic classes or Political Inclinations, we will come to compete with any other developing society. We will be the most respected society in Africa, we will change this hardship of bad leadership. May God bless Nigeria. Thank you all.

By:

Adam Iliyasu Abubakar

Physics department, BUK