By Jamila Musa
The popular aphormerism black is not synonymous with lack is constantly brought into check anytime the media brings out disheartening news about the black race especially the youth.
Like it or not,current statistic world wide relates the the Nigerian youths to wants and deprivations in a country so providently blessed.
It is forever bewildering even more when the stats are brought up when a country like Nigeria,the supposed giants of Africa is mentioned as one of the poverty capital of the world and her youths irresponsible because of the many malaise it has to grapple with.
It is even more perplexing when the resources of the country is taking count,consisting of almost all the natural resources that could have been deployed to make the youths and her future better.
In a bid to counter the problems at hand,some well meaning Nigerians proffered that the country is relatively young when compared to the many developed and industrial country of the world and hence,must not be viewed on a parallel basis.
This statement is not entirely true as it would spell folly for the nation if we want our country with all its abundant human natural resources to be 300 years old before we can witness any significant change to her present stage.
In my own view, we stand a better chance than many of this nations in the world today.We have their experience to learn from.We have the human and natural resources which we can deploy to better our present condition and many other factors which favours our quantum move towards development.
Today all over the world, the youth are seen as foremost among agents of stability in a country and the Nigerian youth must not be an exception.
The image people of a conference in which people aged between 50-80years discussing napatives that would change the country but the decisions from that conference would not impact their generation,but that of the youth is enough sign to show today that the youths are now regarded as agents of stability.It is therefore important that the youths themselves must be ready to help change this narratives. Over 50percent of the world,s population are under the age of 27 of age.So,if anyone is going to decide to shape their future,the youth have to be part of that dialogue,a bigger part of this narrative of co-creating the future.
With the largest youth population in history,there is an unprecedented opportunity for young people to take an active role in shaping the future rather than being agents of destabilization.This generation has inherited an enormous global and national challenges but has the ability to confront the status que and offer youth led solutions for change and stability.They are todays leaders and national stabilizers.
We can create a shared future in a fractured nation like ours.We need as youths to keep moving the needle especially in the area of entrepreneurship.We must take more positive risks than ever before and building phenomenal businesses and taking more decisions that are tackling problem and creating jobs in the process.They are real change agents for stability of our country.
The youth must as a matter of urgency identify their passions and use their passions to create solutions to empower nigerian communities and drive greater economic growth.
We must refuse the status que just because of that is the way it has been done mentality and be charged up with a vision of a better future for the country at large.
The youth must today love innovations and see the future as tech driven.The government on its part must be distinguished in that it must be pipeline creator,the most fundamental piece of the startup tunnel.It must immediately create programmes that turns the youth into impacts entrepreneurs,because it has to start with the people,not ideas.
The objective of this governmental programmes envisaged urgently is to short cut the entrepreneural journey for the youth which invariably turn them into agents of our nations stability and get them realize that you can build a multi billion dollar business by creatively thinking about our world,s greatest challenges.
Musa is a public affairs commentator
