By Sani Adamu Musa
Going by the saying ‘The youths are the strong bed rock of every societal growth and dovelopment, it is undeniable fact that the youths are the greatest assets any country can have.
It should be noted that, the Nigerian youths played a critical roles when the country was agitating for self determination as history revealled. Since independence, the Nigerian youths worked tirelessly towards contributing to a solid democratic development.
One could recall the giant efforts rendered by youths in Nigeria under the umbrella of various organisations such as Aid Group,Vigilante, Boys Brigade Group to mention but a few contributed immensely to community projects like townhall building, religious centres and maintenance of security within various communities.
The recent disbandment of SARS for alleged harassment and brutality of innocent Nigerians is a victory to youths in Nigeria.
Going through historical archives, it’s worthy of note that, celebrated heroes such as Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Chief Nnamdi Azikwe, Obafemi Awolowo among others whose names were written with the golden pen appeared at the centre stage of their generation; nationalized as youths not as old men. Yes! the youths stand far bigger by talents and strength for every nation.
Whereas today, the media and public places captures youths with details of terrible stories of political thuggery, arm robbery, kidnapping, Corruption, cultism, cyber crime, rape among other social vices which have affected the growth and development of the country.
The major identified issue that reinforce criminalism and other social offences among youths is lack of parental care. Most parents nowadays failed to spend their precious time with their wards, they often concentrate more on their businesses and other day to day activities.This result into youths lacking appropriate upbringing and desired knowledge of social norms.
Similarly, self pressure can equally pollute the youths in a quest to compete with friends and when they don’t have the resources, they engage in crime.
It must be noted that, despite the advantages of civilization, it has brought about the attitudinal changes among others, they imitate foreign culture which brought some values that do not comform with their ways of life.
Exposure to media messages and posts on internet also contributed in no small measure in destroying the modest attitude in out youths. Most of them have turned into drug abusers and this is as a result of social media influence and can be connected with the high rate of unemployment.
Another identified predicament of Nigerian youths today is rural urban migration, massive investment and lack of basic infrastructure in the rural areas has forced and lead to overcrowding In the cities, looking for a white color jobs for survival which also lead to the increase in criminal activities in the urban cities.
Apart from these and many more, politicians nowadays engage youths for political thuggery as way of getting success during election and when the perpetrators of such crime are arrested, their god-fathers secure their release.
To reposition the Nigerian youths for national growth and development, parents at the first stage, are advise to spend sufficient time with their children in order to mould them into responsible citizens. It’s also imperative for parents to monitor their children against bad company. After all, government at all levels should increase the level of literacy among youths to improve the quality of youths’ man power for productivity and efficiency.
There is also the need for holistic approach to address unemployment among youths by creating industries and resuscitation of ailing ones for nation’s economic growth.
Similarly, there should be foreign policies to give room for foreign and internal private sectors to participate in economic diversification.
Further more, there should be available skills acquisition centers to train youths in order to become self-reliant.
In the final note, the future of Nigerian-youths should be brighter and have a focus in life and desist from acts capable of tarnishing their valuable images as Nigerian citizens.
The youths should consider themselves as nation builders, peace keepers and indeed leaders of tomorrow.
Sani Adamu Musa writes from
Mass communication Department,
Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi
