Yes, you read that heading right and I stand by it; youths are not the hope of Nigeria. It is often said that Nigeria is a country plunging into ruins because of the corruption that has engulfed the society. In all quarters and channels, all levels of society, the cankerworm seems to have penetrated all the nooks and crannies of the nation and word on the street is that the youths are the only hope that this supposed ‘Giant of Africa’ has.

I don’t agree with this for quite a number of reasons starting with the fact that, in a country like Nigeria, the attitude of the people as a whole is every man for himself. Hardly anybody’s action is geared towards national development, rather everybody is preoccupied with surviving in a country blessed with so many natural gifts of life yet its people live in hell. The stories of abject poverty and bad living conditions of the people in the country are heartbreaking when one imagines how rich the country is with its numerous potentials. The mentality of the average man has been oriented to be one of making ends meet and surviving the harsh conditions. It is survival of the fittest and everyone is in a constant state of hustle and bustle. Just like the average Nigerian would probably have the prayer of ‘God bless America’ on his lips, the average Nigerian will have the prayer of ‘God bless me.’ We don’t just make prayers and expect miracles to happen, it takes actions to back up that prayer in order for it to come into fulfillment, so even when a youth or what have you does make a prayer of ‘God Bless Nigeria’ one has to consider if his actions reflect that prayer.

It brings me to the next reason, does being young necessarily mean that one is the hope of his country? Age is not a prerequisite for greatness and therefore when they talk about youths being the hope of Nigeria, I laugh at the notion. A young person is not the hope of his country, rather he is the hope of himself; yes he may hold potentials of developing his nation but if the conditions in that country does not favour him, then he will work on developing himself rather than a country that does not give him the chance to. Young people are regarded as fresh blood and considering the fact that they have a ‘bright future’ ahead of them, it is seen that they will ordinarily bring greatness to the country. In all sincerity, does the youth of today posses the qualities necessary for such a heavy responsibility. I don’t see it, I see people more interested in music, fashion, lifestyle, gossip, social media gossip and some other trivialities. Don’t get me wrong, I do not in any way cast any of the above in bad light, after all entertainment seems to be one of the highest income earner for the nation and also employer of labour. But let’s move away from the world of entertainment as a profession into serious matters; an average youth would rather spend his time listening to songs on his phone or spend quality time surfing the internet and using social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagtram, and others. The BlackBerry, Android and iPhone craze has taken over most of us and we are more interested I acquiring material wealth and possessions. The girl want to have the perfect make up and have the right outfit for every event, the guys want to ride the latest cars and ‘rock’ the coolest babes in town.

The youths are also considered the hope of a nation that is plunging into an abyss of hopelessness and yet most live in a secured cocoon safe from the harsh realities of life. Many don’t understand the intricacies of the game if politics and don’t even understand what goes on there. Many are of the mindset that if eventually they venture into politics, it would be to have a share of the national cake. Blame it on poverty or lack of education but everybody is obsessed by the love for money and making sure that they are comfortable in life. I thought leadership roles required selfless dedication and sacrifice, giving yourself out fully and selflessly to the service of others? Who is ready for that mantle?

We talk about the youths being the future of the nation yet they are the instruments of violence in the hands of some corrupt leaders. The menace of Boko Haram is perpetrated by youths through the master mind plans of their godfathers. Is it the same person that is supposed to be the future of the nation that will go out on a suicide mission to kill other innocent citizens of the country he is supposed to bring a better tomorrow for? Who do the politicians use for political thuggery, ballot box snatching, election rigging, vandalism and other such atrocities, one answer; youths and yet we call youths the future

I have only one reply to those of the opinion that youths are the hope of our country; nobody is the hope of Nigeria, rather the youths are the hope of themselves. I do not mean to sound like a prophet of doom but it is just the plain fact. It is that simple and straightforward, they work towards bringing themselves and their families good fortune. Amidst all the aforementioned negativity, we still have serious minded youths who work hard to make things right and toe the path of greatness but believe you me, it is not so they can be the shining beacon or ray of hope that Nigeria so badly seeks, rather their actions are geared towards their own personal success. If we have people with this mindset, then a collective group of successful people could start working towards making an impact. Youths therefore are not the hope of Nigeria, youths are the hope of themselves.

www.poshkidcharming.

Hmmm...nice article with cogent points. So, who is/are the hope of Nigeria, OP? Is it now the aged? But note that individual hope is what culminates into a national one. Because you kind of sent a wrong message at a stage in your article which could be interpreted as saying that youths should just be bothered about Nigeria...rather than focusing on themselves and personal achievements.

Hmmmm

Mynd_44: Hmmmm

Don't say hmmm oh...contribute pls.