By Kasim Isa Muhammad
Saying Nigeria has failed is an understatement. Unfortunately, nobody can also predict what the future holds for the younger generations. The recent abductions of school children, kidnapping on the major highways, and increased tuition fees by the Kaduna government show that Nigeria is on the brink of collapse. Nevertheless, the most perturbing question running on my mind and fellow ordinary Nigerians is: who will bring succour at this time of unprecedented crises?
We all know that Nigeria got its independence sixty years ago, and it will clock sixty-one in few months to come, but unfortunately, the country lacks direction. Innocent citizens are killed daily, graduates roaming streets looking for jobs, while senior politicians buy luxury cars, their children study abroad. In contrast, the children of the masses study in dilapidated classrooms. With this, no one can predict the future of Nigeria as a nation.
With all the problems mentioned above, and despite facing severe insecurity challenges in Kaduna, the state governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, increased tuition fees. Unfortunately, instead of the governor providing a lasting solution to the problems bedevilling the state, he chose to add salt to the current problem people of Kaduna are wallowing in. I often ask myself this question: Do the poor children have a future in this country? Yes, the answer to the question is visible to the blind and audible to the deaf because when you fail to educate the children of the poor that voted you into office, you will never know peace. It’s high time the governor thought and have a rethought.
Nonetheless, the recent statistics establish that 25 million graduates are unemployed. This shows that future generations will not invest in education. When a country fails to employ the vast population of its graduates, they will only engage in nefarious activities, such as gangsterism, kidnapping, banditry, militancy, and all heinous activities. Therefore, we need to wake up from our deep slumber in providing job opportunities to our youths.
It’s pertinent to note that statistics also establish that 900 schools were destroyed in Nigeria recently, especially in the northwestern part of the country. Still, unfortunately, many Nigerians don’t find this worth talking about. They instead talk about the Twitter ban. We all know how some unpatriotic Nigerians use the microblogging platform to spread hatred, disunity and unsubstantiated stories to bring about conflict in the country.
Have we forgotten the slogan saying children are the leaders of tomorrow? Yes, there is a need to ask this question when the so-called leaders of tomorrow stay at home because their parents cannot afford their tuition fees; are they even leaders of tomorrow when their leaders fail to protect their lives and properties today?
By looking at the current situation and Nigeria’s stalking on social and economic impacts, the youths have lesser opportunity to get involved in governmental issues.
In some developed countries, technology plays a crucial role in successful programs, advances tech power, and engages youths in learning to generate a source of income. However, there are so many obstacles in Nigerian technological development and a massive challenge for the youths. The government invests insufficient funds in technological methods, which seem to be a modern pillar of providing enormous job opportunities.
However, the youths probably graduate from various universities, come out with outdated skills, and have no chance of getting a job. Therefore, the government needs to introduce programs in the universities for a change of method in teaching, entrepreneurship, and ways to inspire the youths.
Also, international investments are advised to enlarge ways of poverty alleviation from millions of youths living without any hope here in Nigeria. Building up companies and carrying out regular works will help to make a way out of these obstacles.
Youths can also be involved in politics. The vibrant minds have the zeal to change many things here in Nigeria but some uncertain beliefs came to destroy the future of youths into politics.
When the government provides job opportunities and tackles insecurity issues, future generations will write the name of our leaders in a golden slate of history.
Now, in Nigeria, the only thing we need is to work together collectively. Our problems are beyond political affiliations, ethnicity, religion, and sectionalism. Yet, we need to take a deep breath and ask ourselves what the future will hold for the future younger generation.
Kasim Isa Muhammad is a 200 level student in the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.