Yemi Adedeji, Abuja
Michael Bamidele, a fomer Commissioner of Youth in Lagos state has lamented that the Nigerian system undermines youth creativity, energy and dynamism, due to the myriads of challenges like poverty, ignorance, manipulations, and cultural hindrance.
He added that any government that attempts to ignore the youth or fails to harness their potentials and talents to impact positively on the priorities of that governance is actually doing so at a very grave cost, no matter how well-meaning or visionary such government might claim to be.
Bamidele stated this while delivering his keynote address at the maiden edition of African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council Nigeria (ECOSOCC) on Wednesday in Abuja, where he said that Nigeria cannot move an inch progressively with enagaging the youth.
According to him, “in Nigeria, not fewer that 60 million Nigerian youth are presently unemployed, roaming about the streets and battling with startvation, social neglect, elite exploitation, extreme penury, stagnation and squalor of the highest order. “
He noted that these prevailing circumstances have none-the-less crippled the potentials of Nigerian youth for maximum expression, truncating their dreams and vision for a greater future.
Bamidele said instead of exploring their talents, skills and burning energy in contributing exceedingly to growth and development of the nation, an average Nigerian youth is preoccupied with the pursuit of personal survival and secuirty, to the detriment of collective advancement as a nation and as a people.
He stated: “despite the well acclaimed roles the youth are presumed to play in the development of this country, they are faced with myraids of challenges such as poverty, disease, ignorance, manipulations and cultural hindrances,
“Aside the fact that there are few professional role models, who providence had enabled to break-even, there are very limited opportunities for self improvement. Our environment is such that undermines youth creativity, energy and dynamism.”
Bamidele emphasised that apart from the wide scale marginalisation of the youth in the polical arena, the corporate world had appeared to be more indisposed to youth elements and young eggheads of promising corporate profile.
“This is evident in alarming rate of massive unemployment among our graduates and young school leavers. This, of course, places moral burden on our policy makets, politicians, captains of industry and the likes, who have benefited immensely from the Nigerian system but are now shying away their responsibility of serving as the guiding lights to the youth of ths generation and engagig them in more meaningful productive and dignifying roles in the society,” he stressed.
He therefore called on government at all levels of governance to come out if their shells and rise up to the occassion in defence of the right of the youth and the child to not only exist but survive and excel in his or her chosen endeavors.