PMB goofed on lazy youths comment

President Muhammadu Buhari recently had cause to talk about Nigerian youths. He said, “we have a very young population; our population is estimated conservatively to be 180 million. More than 60 per cent of the population is below the age of 30. A lot of them have not been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria has been an oil producing country; therefore they should sit and do nothing and get housing, healthcare and education free.”

This is the text of the controversial comment. Ok. The President said a lot of Nigerian youths and not Nigerian youths or all or some. The question is: why would the President say that to the International community? What do you think the perception of the International community is about Nigerian youths after that statement? There’s no doubt about it, the President effectively slandered and disgraced Nigerian youths because he did not finish the statement with something like: ‘However, Nigeria is home to some of the most hardworking young people in the world.

A lot of Nigerian youths are entrepreneurial and are making waves in different spheres from IT, to the entertainment industry, sport and so on. We have many young Nigerians making giant strides abroad, flying the white and green flag high and making the country proud.

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Well, that is even if Mr. President’s assertion is valid in the first place. What are the numbers of uneducated Nigerian youths who don’t want to do anything and want social services free that quantifies them as ‘a lot’?

It’s a big slap on our faces. Don’t waste your time defending the indefensible.  The President goofed and sadly, it’s ‘International’.

Adeyemi Ahmed Abiodun,

adeyemiahmedabiodun@gmail.com