From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Former deputy governor of Imo State, Prince Eze Madumere (MFR), has called on governments at all levels to fashion out a deliberate policies that is youth centric in tackling the obvious neglect of the youths who constitute about 70 percent of the nation’s population.
Madumere made the call at the weekend in Owerri, the Imo state capital, while delivering a lecture at an event organised by Prof Protus Uzorma Nathan Foundation for Justice and Equity to mark the birthday of the founder Prof Nathan.
Speaking at the lecture, titled: ‘The future of Nigerian youths in the socio-economic development of Nigeria,’ Madumere said: “What kind of Nigeria do we want to see in 10 years? Is it a Nigeria where the energy of the youth is wasted in despair? Or is it one where their brilliance powers our future. More than 70 percent of Nigeria’s population is under 35. This is not just a statistics. This is a powerful gift from God, one we cannot afford to waste.”
He lamented that the youth are struggling because of the absence of a deliberate policy by both the federal and state governments or even the local governments on how to tackle the real problems facing them.
“Youth development is not an act of charity. It is a national investment. A moral responsibility and the following things must be done as real ways of empowering our youths.
“Here’s what we must do. Education reform: Our schools must teach coding, artificial intelligence, robotics, agriculture, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, not just theory.
“Skills over certificates: Vocational and technical training must be mainstream. Not everyone must pursue a university degree to thrive.
“We need startup capital, not just CVs. Youth-friendly financial systems must be created through grants, micro-loans and public-private technology infrastructure.
Every local government must have digital centres. Let’s make data affordable. Let’s create remote jobs.”
Also, Dr Chima Amadi, a tech entrepreneur and president of The Mazi Organisation (TMO) and governorship aspirant said the youths need to be empowered intellectually as they cannot continue to be used as political thugs and touts to the detriment of themselves and the society.
He said it was regrettable that politics had become a huge industry in the country and that the youths were often hired as both political thugs, touts, ballot box snatchers, as well as those hired to follow politicians about.
“I think right now, there is a crisis that has been aptly described by Prof Nathan. There is crisis of hunger, insecurity and lack of direction, especially when politics has become a huge industry where our youths are hired as political thugs, touts and assassins. There is the need at all levels of government and even the NGOs like that of Prof Protus Uzorma Nathan Foundation of Justice and Equity to do something. We need to focus on the youths and women. There are lots of programmes that can be put in place to empower them.
“When I talk about empowerment, I don’t use it in the way the average politicians use empowerment. Empowerment is not in that manner where you give people Keke Napep or wheel barrow, I have nothing against that. Empowerment has to be a well thought out programmes of empowering people to help them to be wealth creators later in the cause of their journey. We have to create the enabling environment, the state of insecurity in our land as a necessity has to give way for enabling environment, where people can do their businesses without any fear of being attacked, kidnapped or killed. And, we have been doing this already regardless of the harsh environment,” he submitted.
Similarly, the host, Prof Nathan said a total transformation of the policy of youth development was needed for there to be sustainable framework and to make sure that the youth really have a future in Nigeria.
He said most youths were languishing in jail for minor offences as a result of the frustrations brought about by the system.
“The truth of the matter is that for us to have a sustainable frame work that will bring about a total transformation, one of the major steps to be taken is for the government to reorganise their system to give a real future to the Nigerian youths. If you do a research, you will discover that many of our youths are languishing in jail.
“Surprisingly, the the federal and state governments have been paying lip- services to the issues of youths empowerment and employment, and today, we have about 40 percent of the youths without employment and the result is that some have taken to crime and criminality. So, we expect the government to put sound policies that can advance the cause of youth employment and empowerment in the real sense of the word.”
Earlier, Chairman of the event, Major General Collins Remy Ihekire (Rtd), pointed out that the rebuilding of the nation cannot be attained without the deliberate policies of the government to make the youths the engine of growth, by positively harnessing the talents, creativity and innovations of the youths.
“It is what we plant today that we will reap tomorrow,” he added.