The missing link in youth empowerment and Nigeria’s development

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari in his address at the US/Africa business forum on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 21, 2016, said, “With a median age of 19, and with 70 per cent of the population below that age of 35, Nigeria’s greatest potential lies in the talent and energy of her youth.” In other words, 119,000,000 Nigerians are below the age of 35 and 85 million Nigerians are below the age of 19.  This fact implies that in the next five to 10 years, a large percentage of young Nigerians will seek more jobs compared to what we have now. With the current high unemployment rate and one of the lowest human capital indexes in the world, the future looks dim for young Nigerians and Nigeria as a nation.

A nation’s human capital endowment- the skills and capacities that reside in people and that are put to productive use- can be a long term determinant of its long term economic success than virtually any other resources. This resource must be invested in and leveraged efficiently in order for it to generate returns- for the individuals involved as well as an economy as a whole. Nigerians have shown their resourcefulness and high productivity in all spheres of life in various parts of the globe, proving that they can hold their heads high if provided with the right environment and tools to be the best and compete with the best.

If government and other stakeholders do not have a robust strategy backed with quick action, the next five to 10 years will be much tougher than what we are currently experiencing in the country; unprecedented unemployment rate, insecurity, dilapidated infrastructures, inflation, low life expectancy, economic downturn, amongst other negative consequences await us a nation. In addendum, if parents are not informed in order to guide their wards right to navigate the challenges and maximize the opportunities of the coming years, many young people will be frustrated and a lot of families will be affected.

While I agree with President Buhari that our greatest potential lies in the talent and energy of our young ones, if the proper framework and enabling environment are not intentionally created for them to blossom, turn raw talents into flourishing talents and sheer energy into positive energy, our greatest potentials may soon become our greatest tragedies. In the next 5 years, there will be more opportunities in entertainment, sport, education and digital space for young Nigerians because of our demography.

The real question behind the question is; what is the way forward? The way forward is human capacity growth through people’s development and youth empowerment. People’s Development is a conscious effort by government, organisations or individuals to achieve a positive change in people’s self-image, self-belief, self-worth, self-confidence, self-esteem, inner programming, belief system, area of possibilities, rules of life, thoughts pattern and emotions that lead to a good change in people’s world and subsequently a positive change in our world at large. Because when people improve, their careers, businesses, finances, health, relationships and happiness improve. When people become better, it affects their family, friends and community positively.

For individuals, businesses, organisations as well as government to seize the opportunities and overcome the challenges coming in the next five to 10 years, they must fully understand the personal development triangle. The personal development triangle contains three key components. The first is knowledge. The right knowledge is the foundation of all successes. To have an edge as a nation over other nations, we must know the truth; the truth about massive success, sustainable development, and real happiness. It is high time we put premium on reading as a nation and build a culture of voracious reading by our young ones. It is a truism that information leads to transformation, insights propel foresight and input determines output. Like Francis Bacon rightly opined, “Knowledge is power.” But the application of the right knowledge is the ultimate power. Our education system must focus on application rather than mere theory.

The second is skill. Skill is the ongoing application of knowledge through training, experience and practice. It is imperative for Nigeria to become a highly skillful nation. Government must invest in world class technical schools to produce world class carpenters, welders, tailors, plumbers, technologists, painters, foremen and other technical skills that can compete favorably in the global market. A skillful nation is a productive nation. In addition, government must introduce leadership and entrepreneurship studies at Junior Secondary level, precisely, JSS 1. Currently, there are some subjects in our curriculum that should be replaced because they do not prepare our young ones to face the challenges and utilize the opportunities of the 21st century.

Finally, attitude is the way someone thinks and feels that determine the way he behaves. Simply put, attitude equals thought plus emotion. Attitude is everything. More than anything else, as a nation we must develop the attitude of faith, hope, commitment, focus, determination, patience, humility, love, generosity, persistence and gratitude in the minds of our young ones. To achieve this, emotional intelligence must be part of our senior secondary school curriculum. Justice must be the order of the day. Religious, business, community and political leaders but be the examples and set the examples for our young ones. May God Bless Nigeria.

• Kareem writes from Lagos, Nigeria.