A Nigerian Youth that is Twice Dreaded than Ebola

Animals growing in the wild grow with an ambidextrous spirit to survive at all cost. This is because the awareness of survival by lone effort is part of what grooms their existence in the jungle. The fate of the Nigerian youth is far worse. Apart from the apathy and sentiments that herald his judgments and deliberations, his efforts to survive is always against the tide of the simulations of the Nigerian State.

This write up is inspired to checkmate the suicidal imbalance that have been created for the youths by the forces of retrogressions created in the system called the ‘Nigeria factor’. I am not pessimistic, that is why I had the courage to express this awkward Nigeria culture that is squandering the lives of our youths, to inspire the minds of youths that have been frustrated to dementia, to keep hope alive.

Many young minds will agree with me that never in the history of the youths, have conversations about them been detached from the vices of radicalism, prostitution, robbery, militancy, violence, drugs, 419 and recently added to the context, terrorism. Our parents and society rarely associate our lives with positivity. This has left a little chance for most growing youths to extricate themselves from these psychological walls of restrain. We had parents whose singular role was to groom and support us
through our days of excesses. Our parents were supposedly given us by God to help us through our weaknesses, till we grow to see the strength reposed in us. Then, learn to exert our strength independently in the right course but, had our days of weaknesses abused for want of their selfish gains.

The society made up of persons who were older and more experienced in the settings and history of the Nigerian stage made our lives more repulsive. My chat with Adebayo, a 29year old Nigerian from the
West, simply suggest that his experience of hypocrisy serves the psychological benefit tutored by society, is a mutual experience that cuts across a wide spectrum of youths in Nigeria.

The Government on its own disposition, has hardly seen the youths as the necessary replacement for sustaining our nascent democracy. Aside the speeches and political platforms designed to remote the youths towards actualizing their selfish propelled actions, the structures and laws of the land has created little or no room for youthful aspiration. In contrast to the vast publicity on youth empowerment, there seem to be sadistic feelings that the youths are a threat to public office holders. The Dynamism of youthfulness coupled with their creativity, doggedness, pool of strength and sophisticated IQ which is a panacea to contemporary issues, is enough to encourage the retrogressive powers that have anchored sensitive seats in the Nigeria State to stand on the defense.

The rising number of Nigerian youths have had reasons to be traumatized with the increasing rate of unemployment. Seemingly, implying that those who obeyed the voice of their parents to give education a shot, made the mistake of a life time. It is still heard of parents who prophesy sufferings for their child who will not tend to schooling. Afterwards, the government and private firms says our graduate are half baked. The society says, we are responsible for crimes and we don’t want to work. I know many persons that have been so obedient to the words and advices from numerous quarters. They not only got a degree but added, craft from empowerment programs, went for professional courses and crowned it up with master’s degree. As soon as they got all these checked, their age becomes their enemy.

What of the numerous aptitude test conducted across jobs and various screenings? At the end, the best candidates are delisted from getting further into the jobs, for those in the connection list has the best chances of being selected. The youths of this nation have been pushed to face various hardship occasioned by the weaknesses of our parents, our society and government. The fact that we have beenenduring this adventure of sorrow long enough, and smiling in the face of brutal conspiracy to waste our youthfulness, our conspirators must halt now for it is indeed a dire.
My vexation with our parents, society and government does not presuppose the youths to be faultless.

But, the limitations of the youths are tolerable, owing to the fact that, the lack of sacrifices by the custodians of the State yesteryears, seem to be the sources of their present inadequacies. As far as I know, the Nigerian youth has been fighting ever since and is still fighting for the chance to be treated fairly, for the opportunity to become a valuable part of societal development and the permit to be recognized as sensible and respectable. Most times the mentality of respect by our elders have been grossly miscalculated so much so that, little room have been created to reciprocate the gesture. This, is the reason why, many elder statesmen as they are called have sold their respect at the cost of pride.

What must the Nigerian Youth do to avert condemnation? This is a question that revolves the minds of countless youths who have found themselves in the dilemma of been turned. Believe it or not, many
youths have been pushed to their wits end such that, they settle for erroneous livelihood. Many have resigned to appeasing the system of corruption as the only guaranteed means of survival. Looking at the will and aspirations of some youths, one will imagine if genius where not destined to exude their inventions in Nigeria. How come a good man don’t get what he wants in my country Nigeria?, Was the question that spilled out of the mouth of a young girl after her 17 th attempt at getting a loan for her Fashion Designing business plan. Just like the confusion that has characterized our choices of courses in the tertiary institutions, the job front suffers same fate. Many Nigerians study courses by chance and not be capability or want. This mentality has cost us lives, properties, money and retrogression. Because, as long as the wrong set of persons work their ways to the right places, they will never fit in the positions leaving the forces of nature to dictate what happens. How long must we survive by the forces of luck?

We do not select persons in Nigeria based on who knows what to do but, who knows whom we know. Too bad, the Military is also a victim, as the real soldiers are still in the streets while appointed and selected men of meagre honour wears our military uniforms. A society that does the right thing and support the best always stays afloat at the top. Nigeria as a country owe the youths apologies on the grounds of deceit based on the several empty promises of government, waste of our precious youthfulness occasioned by joblessness and most importantly the unbearable accusation that have stick to our image as the instigators of violence and abductors of national peace. Though, the fire is the focus of our eyes the fuel which is the source of the hazard, is not an item of mention.

At this very trying times in the lives of our youths, many gave up in the struggle by physical death. Others who were resilient to survive, gave up their values (spiritual death) and walked in the shadows of the fame that God has acquired for them by right. The many youths who are still wondering in the various wilderness of their struggle, are saddled with pains and traumatized by delusion of no sight of a future.

Our churches and mosques have also produced leaders that have led ipse dixit proclamations that is out of tunes with the calling of God. They feast on the opium of religious solicitude that we adversely solicit and plunge us into living as refugees in their camps.

I will conclude by saying, I am impressed with the reawakening spirit that has energized our country recently. The truth remains that, if the youths arise in frustration, the country will retire to commotion.

As efforts are been made to build the capacity for youth upliftment, every arm of government, society and the family should rise to give her optimal support. Then, we will all groom a vibrant Nigeria where there is harmony of growth. Youths, this is an encouragement to our moral courage, don’t give up.