THE ROLE OF YOUTHS IN THE NEXT NIGERIAN POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC DISPENSATION

Introduction

Who is a youth?  “The UN, for statistical consistency across regions, defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States.  For activities at the national level, for example when implementing a local community youth programme, “youth” may be understood in a more flexible manner.  UNESCO will then adopt the definition of “youth” as used by a particular Member State.  It can be based for instance on the definition given in the African Youth Charter where “youth” means “every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years”, (UNESCO, Social and Human Sciences, 2014).

Political participation of Youths: the Nigerian case

A recent discuss in one of the Nigerian media exhibited participation of the Nigerian “Youths” in current political activities as that which raises doubt as to the definition of who is a youth – more-so, in the background of the above highlighted definition of who a youth is, age-wise.

In our Nigeria political activities of today, one can cite cases where those branded political Youth Leaders are sometimes in their early 50s in years of age.  This calls for scrutiny when one x-rays the UNESCO definition of Youth, age-wise.  The scenario becomes more complex and raises doubt as to whether the Nigerian ‘Youth’ as far as political and nay, economic activities and participation are actually concerned and controlled by supposed youths, according to age classification?  So, in other for the topic of this write-up to be judiciously authentic, we have to clarify who a youth is?  If the UNESCO definition of youth is what we are going to accept as a Member State or Nation, there is going to be a doubt as to whether youth participation in the political and economic arena of Nigeria is actually being occupied by the real youths – ages 15-35 years.  According to Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, one is not eligible to be registered by INEC – Independent National Electoral Commission – for inclusion into the Nigerian Voters Register, unless one has attained the age of 18 years.  By extension, the 15-17 years olds are not captured by the Nigerian 1999 Constitution to exercise their franchise as being eligible voters, so 15-17 years are in the first place have no business in Nigerian active politics.  The interpretation of this age discrimination, which is by far reasonable is that at this age, it is expected that ages 15-17 years are still struggling to grab their academic or skill preparation or acquisition for future livelihood.

Back to men and women in political activities being led by people as old as 50 years may call for concern.  This is because, when a 50 year old is talking to a group of youths in the age bracket of 18-35 years, one may have to be educated whether such 50 years old is leading them for guidance or as a coordinator, or participant?  This scenario needs to be scrutinised and properly defined before we can be sure that participation of youths in Nigeria’s political dispensation is actually in the hands of the real youths or the youths are being tele-guided in such political participation.  Otherwise, the youths may have been denied their real participation.  This is so because oppression may be rearing its head at discussion level and also apportioning what is due for the youths.  In the African culture, the youths are expected to be silent when elders are talking.  If the age mixing as has been highlighted above persists, there is bound to be tension and acrimony in the camp of the Nigerian youths participation in politics and by extension the economic development of the nation – Nigeria.  With the picture being exhibited as at now in the Nigerian political youths participation, one can suggest that this accounts for some habits being exhibited by youths at political, economic rallies and meetings, respectively.  What you notice are acts of thuggery, drug influences and rascality.  All these are done in part to display inferiority complex, when the youths are faced with elderly persons leadership in their midst.  They need to act bold to interact with this Youth Leaders who are in their 50s.  In this case, the best quality may have not been tapped from the fresh mind of the youths – and some orientation work has to be done to normalize this anomaly, if we are to tutor and groom the youths to be partakers in the political and economic dispensation of the nation, as heir apparent of the inheritance.  In such orientation effort, the youths must be educated that participation in politics and economy is a training ground for them not money-making venture.  They should be tutored towards believing and pursuing what they could offer their nation rather than what they can materially get from their nation.  This is a herculean task because the youths brains have been thwarted to believe that they must be rich, by all means even at their tender age; because of subsequent governments mis-managing the nations resources since the era of military regimes, which the political class has emulated.  To majority of the youths, building a nation for greatness is not their desire, rather, self-enrichment is their priority – the recent fuel subsidy House of Representative public enquiry evidences affirm this hustle for money by the youths, if utterances and disposition exhibited by some youth ‘businessmen’ is given a replay of the video recordings.  The recently concluded National Conference may have gone a long way to addressing this anomaly, if their recommendations as to political and economic restructuring see the light of the day.

ADEBAYO, Busayo (2014)

Freelance Public Analyst.

adebayobusayo1@gmail.com