CSOs Questions Youth’s Readiness for Governance, As Nigerians Mark IYD
- Nigerians across the federation joined the rest of the world to celebrate "International Youth Day" on Friday, August 12
- However, Nigerian youths have been urged to continue to be resilient in the course of developing Nigeria as a top-tier nation
- In terms of attaining the leadership of the country, Nigerian youths have been charged to dominate the grassroots before aiming for the top
FCT, Abuja - In a build-up to the crucial general elections slated for 2023, probing questions have been raised about youths' readiness for governance in Nigeria.
Speaking at an event organised by the Africado Foundation in commemoration of the International Youth Day of 2022, the Country Director of Plan International, Usie Charles Emmamuzou has called on Nigerian youths to pedal through the ranks of politics in order to oversee the affairs of the country.
Source: Depositphotos
Mr. Emmamuzou while speaking to Legit.ng's regional correspondent stated that young people these days are not willing to pay the price required to get to the top of the cadre when it comes to governance.
He questioned youths' interest and enthusiasm to occupy smaller political offices as a starting point for their political ambition.
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He said:
"Young people are too short-sighted with plans, we want immediate instant gratification, but it doesn't always work like that. It may work for some people in the short term but go and study any successful company, organization, or individual, none of them have short-circuited the process, and none of them can leapfrog the process.
"Look at rich and prosperous countries, they went through a process, they went through a time, they went through learning, they went through pain.
"Some of the politicians you see today running for the presidency, some of them have had this ambition for 25 years consistently, but young people today want to have an ambition today and actualize it next year, how possible is that?"
Insecurity, cybercrime, terrorism are offspring of unemployment - Ojeka
Meanwhile, the founder of Africado foundation, Richardson Ojeka, a youth corp member attributed the current predicament of Nigeria to unemployment.
He, however, noted that the veritable solution to clamping down on the menace of unemployment is tapping into tech.
Mr. Ojeka said:
"Insecurity, banditry, and cybercrime are clearly and squarely a problem of unemployment. So we are trying to solve the unemployment problem in Nigeria and we believe that to solve that problem, the best way is to use technology. Give technology to underserved people, underprivileged people and they will have it and it will be a tool for national transformation in their own lives.
"To be a billionaire in oil and gas you need tankers, factories, and the likes, but in tech, you need a phone, laptop, and data. And this is the way we believe we can solve the unemployment crisis in Nigeria, using technology and even giving it to people that deserve it."
Similarly, the Country Director of Christian Aid (UK) Nigeria, Temitope Fashola via a statement made available to Legit.ng stated that has called on all stakeholders in governance to ensure youth inclusion in the political structure of Nigeria.
Mr. Fashola said:
"At Christian Aid, we prioritise inclusion, hence, the development of a robust youth engagement strategy that guides our youth development programs such as our youth internship and employability skills development."
He, however, reiterated that the organisation will continue to champion the course for youth inclusion and development across all sectors.
2023: There is no alternative to participation, get your PVCs, CSOs tells Nigerian youths
In another development, civil societies have begun to intensify campaigns to sensitize Nigerian youths on the need to participate in the forthcoming elections.
YIAGA Africa has warned Nigerian youths that the forthcoming general election is critical to their future and that only participation can be a major determinant for a better Nigeria.
The electoral monitoring organization described the outrageous price of political parties’ nomination forms for aspirants as an attempt to auction the leadership of Nigeria.
Source: Legit.ng
