Among the young, there is a rising tide of optimism concerning the future of Nigeria. The young seem focused on taking over from the previous generation—hints the signing of the Not Too Young To Run Bill. The previous generations, on the other hand, are arguing, stating the fact that the young may not be ready to lead; they speak of their lack of experience and exposure. Although their argumentation could be stemming from their desire to retain power, there is still a truth to be derived from it. In fact, I propose issues that the young must address before considering ourselves ready to lead.
Since independence, Nigeria has sought for a leader that would lead it to the mountaintop, a place it realizes and utilizes its capabilities. The expectation that a leader would wash away all tears has only led to more calamities and the display of the true intention behind the politicians bid to run. More than most, Nigerians could brag of being the embodiment of the scriptural verse which states “Cursed is the one who trusts in man” (Jeremiah 17:5). I then propose, for the young to successfully steer Nigeria in the right direction, the young must direct their heart from the “one-man-fix-all” mentality to realizing that only “together” with one voice could Nigeria change. We as young Nigerians must come together and begin to develop solutions and out of this united body select a leader capable of leading the coveted change. This leads me directly to the second issues.
Several factors lead to the disunification in Nigeria, religion, tribalism, and the quest for riches. Religion indeed, like any other unifying conglomerate could become an agent of control and division. The marginalization of a group by convincing its adherents of their supremacy or even holiness takes away from the people’s ability to find a common ground with others who are of differing beliefs. Looking into both Christianity and Islam, you see peace as a central theme and compassion is its catalyst. If the young then could dig deeper for themselves, they would find within their respective religions that it is possible to work together for the sake of building a country worth living in.
Nigeria is constantly afflicted and so divided by tribalism. I am Hausa, She is Igbo, and He is Yoruba, this is exactly the problem; there is no country that can be united if the first identification of an individual is based on their color or tribe. At the sight of a brother or sister, we should see a human being, then we are to see a Nigerian, lastly, their tribe is considered optionally.
The quest for riches seems to be driven by poverty. Because everyone seems to be looking for success those who have seen a bit of it are seeking to show those without that they have attained success. To rectify this problem, the youth of Nigeria must turn a blind eye to riches by congratulating the successful, but not envying the success. To deal with this problem we are to be with one mind convinced, that only when we as a nation succeed, only then are we as individuals successful at all.
Lastly, we the young must not lose our identity as Nigerians. The quest to be as another country would only lead us to lose what makes us a people so distinct. By retaining our values and traditions, yet incorporating the beneficial side of modernity, we will find ourselves advancing and a force to be reckoned with. So there it is the solution to building the future of Nigeria. It seems as though an easy task yet the heart of a person is a mountain only surmountable by the person themselves, yet even at that it takes the hand of God to level the mountain.
Bullus M. Gago, a Pastor and Ph.D. Student. Currently, Bullus is fixated on presenting biblical truths from a scientific, philosophical and theological perspective. His aim is to combat the decline of morality by presenting truths in spite of many attacks against the Christian faith. For invitations Email: bullusmgago@gmail.com
very insightful article- on point