Nigeria, with a population of about 160 million people with more than 50% being young people, has undergone ups and downs since inception of democracy in 1999 -about 12 years ago, in her development process. Some of these challenging issues include high rate of unemployment among youths, lack of basic infrastructure, food, housing, energy, security, healthcare, education and most of all the increasing population. With these challenges faced daily, the development of the country faces a stunted growth economically and otherwise.
Small and medium enterprise (SME), being the bedrock by supporting large scale industries, do not have the capacity to thrive as they mostly operate in rural areas, the effect being massive youth unemployment.
Climate change on the other hand, increases environmental degradation and putting our cities in jeopardy.
The youths in Nigeria are energetic, passionate and highly innovative. Unlike adults who are digital immigrant, young people are digital natives and have an uncanny ability to create, discover and explore new dimensions and methods of ensuring sustainable development. Unfortunately, most do not have the opportunity, or resources needed for them to fully maximize their potentials, and therefore, are stacked in the drudgery of the current state of the nation. They are usually excluded from decision making processes in all levels of government, and at instance when they are allowed to participate; their opinions and suggestions are not put into effect. Hence, youth energies are diverted into negative engagements.
Young people, as stakeholders and the generation next leaders have enormous positives contributions to Nigeria’s sustainable development. To achieve this;
-Young people must become active in the decision making processes at the local, state and national level, and ensure that their opinions are heard and implemented.
-Engage in entrepreneurship.
-Embrace and showcase creativity and work together to create jobs.
-Organise peer mentoring forums.
-Develop power green solutions applicable at the grassroot level and start the change project ourselves.
-Engage actively in agriculture to ensure food security.
Besides, the current youth-boom generation in Nigeria has to take precaution as to control birth rate (BR) to avoid over-population in the near future, such that would risk economic growth and sustainability in development.
More than any other time in our history, we need to do things differently to save the situation – we are losing so much on all fronts. Now is the time to for young people to take the lead in solving social problem. Creating a healthy, habitable and sustainable society.
