Challenges of youth development in Nigeria

Continued from last week However, globalisation has also opened wider doors for transnational or trans-border criminal activities, particularly activities involving money laundering, irregular or mixed migration and human trafficking, as well as the movement of hard drugs and firearms by various criminal cartels. An area of major concern on the impact of globalisation on youth […]

Continued from last week

However, globalisation has also opened wider doors for transnational or trans-border criminal activities, particularly activities involving money laundering, irregular or mixed migration and human trafficking, as well as the movement of hard drugs and firearms by various criminal cartels.

An area of major concern on the impact of globalisation on youth development in Nigeria is tied to the degeneration of values in our society as a consequence of the adaptation of western culture. The attitudes of our youth today towards elders, parents, and teachers, for example, are not the same as they used to be. We grew up respecting older persons, had strict obedience to our parents, listened and appreciated our teachers, and followed the general rules of conduct and behaviour.

Like globalisation, population growth and youth bulge have tremendous impact on youth development in contemporary Nigeria. As a matter of fact, this is another challenge and a major area of concern.

The use of cyber space for internet, digital communication and the social media is another major challenge to youth development in Nigeria.

The internet has penetrated Africa’s population, currently having 39.8per cent as recorded users, where the world average is 57.3per cent. This means that there are over 500 million users of internet out of the total population of about 1.2 billion. In 2018, Nigeria had 92.3 million internet users, representing 47.1per cent of the population. This figure is projected to grow to 187.8 million internet users in 2023, representing 84.5per cent of the total population. Although the users are mostly subscribers of the social media, it also shows that there is huge market for online businesses for the youth, other than its misuse by scammers, who have given Nigeria a bad name due to their criminal activities.

While it is a fact that there are positive effects of creativeness of the youth using the social media which we must harness for the economic growth of our nation, we must not overlook the consequences of ignorant or criminal use of the social media by the youth.

The extent to which climate change and environmental degradation have tremendous impact on youth development in Nigeria is very apparent, especially when we examine ecological challenges relating to desertification and erosion in Nigeria. We are among the countries most vulnerable to the impact of climate change, a situation that has massively affected the agricultural sector, especially in crop production, animal rearing or livestock production, fisheries, etc. All these are key areas the youth can be gainfully employed to contribute to national development; rather, this negative impact of climate change has exacerbated youth unemployment.

Combined with youth bulge and the already charged atmosphere of graduate unemployment, the impact of climate change has made the idle youth population engage in violent entrepreneurship. In the Niger Delta, for example, where oil pollution has taken over the creeks, coastal erosion and floods have degraded the farmlands due to high temperature and the rise in sea levels. Ijaw youths have taken to criminal violence in the form of militancy, in which they engage in kidnapping, extortion, armed robbery, oil theft and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. Unfortunately, a significant percentage of the youth population in Niger Delta are neither educated nor possess the skills to be employable; hence the main reason behind the amnesty training projects for them, initiated by the late President Yar’adua.

The farmers-herders conflicts in Nigeria, especially in the North, are as a result of the effects of climate change. The correlation between climate change and conflicts is no longer in doubt. While rapid increase in population has resulted in youth bulge, climate change has led to land degradation due to desertification, erosion and floods, a situation that put pressure on land and water, leading to conflicts between farmers and herders over the control of land and water resources.

Sometimes these conflicts are given the coloration of ethnicity and religion, particularly when they occur in the North-Central geopolitical zone, thereby creating sharp division among the youth, who are always on standby to be used by warring sides to perpetrate all kinds of violent acts.

Climate change has also complicated the traditional life of Fulani herders, which is further compounded by elite land grabbing, such as the situation in Zamfara State, which led the predominantly uneducated, unskilled and unemployed Fulani youths into cattle rustling, kidnappings, rural banditry, and armed robbery. Overall, the impact of youth bulge in the herders’ forest communities, combined with the challenges of climate change, resulting in loss of grazing land; restrictions on the herders’ traditional lifestyle; exposure to drug abuse; illiteracy and lack of vocational skills; the almost nil presence of governance in the isolated herders’ communities; and the proliferation of firearms, have created a violent monster in the Fulani youth today. This is another major challenge to youth development in Nigeria.

Since the return of democracy in 1999, the Nigerian youth have become tools for many politicians who use them to perpetrate electoral violence in furtherance to their interests in gaining the upper hand during elections.

The way forward

One of the major socio-economic challenges of Nigeria was clearly stated by President Muhammadu Buhari in his address to cabinet members during their retreat. This has to do with the projected population growth by 2015. He stated, “By 2050, UN estimates put Nigeria third globally, behind India and China, with our projected population at 411 million. It is frightening but only if we sit idly by and expect handouts from so-called development partners. The solution to our problems lies within us.”

Why is population projection relevant in terms of the way forward? Unless something is done about it, the future of youth development in Nigeria would be in jeopardy. Population should neither be a curse nor burden. It should be an asset and instrument of national power. Therefore, we should either slow down the growth rate through public awareness campaign or prepare for what is coming by 2050 in order to diffuse its potentials of being a time bomb. Whatever option we take, we must ensure that the youth benefit from positive development in terms of quality education, leadership development, values, skills acquisition, health care, food security, employment opportunities, discipline, among others.

The issues of out-of-school children and the almajiri phenomenon in the North are where the danger is. It is a time bomb waiting to explode. The fate of the girl-child is also a big issue as they have not been given the chance to develop. Deprivation of education is worse than that of liberty.

The current N-Power programme embarked on by this government as part of the efforts for youth development is a step in the right direction as a way of managing and upgrading the quality of Nigeria’s population by developing appropriate skills for the youth. Designed specifically for the youth between 18 and 35 years, the programme recognises that skills and knowledge are the driving forces of economic growth and social development. And large scale skill development is the main policy thrust for the programme.

In furtherance to the current Federal Government’s efforts, a special youth data base should be created by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for the purpose of policy and planning. The data base should reflect the reality on ground and include all details required for youth development plan. This could be followed by convening an inter-ministerial committee to come up with a comprehensive youth development plan; and if one is already in existence, review it in order to reflect Nigeria’s contemporary challenges and how to tackle them appropriately. States and local governments should key into this effort in the form of collaboration and coordination with the centre, especially for the rural youth population, and the fact that many of the issues dealing with youth development, such as education and health, are on the concurrent list.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, originally the creation of Decree No. 24 of May 1973, is aimed at national integration and nation building, using graduate the youth. Indeed, it has been a very useful platform for youth development. Most graduates in Nigeria fall within the age bracket of our youth.

Overall, we need to make our youth more creative and innovative in order to change the tide and overcome the challenges of youth development in Nigeria.

The UN programme on Sustainable Development Goals provides another ample opportunity for youth development in Nigeria. Fortunately, the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals is already in existence, created solely to pursue the 2030 agenda as it relates to Nigeria.

Conclusion

The challenges of youth development in Nigeria are daunting but not insurmountable. We all have roles to play in one way or another, as individuals, organisations and institutions. I believe it is the reason we gathered here today, not just to celebrate the 50 years we first met as classmates.

Population growth and youth bulge are clearly a major challenge to youth development in Nigeria, especially given the fact that most of the country’s population is made up of young people. Population is neither a curse nor burden if properly harnessed and productively applied for national development.

Being youth is only one of the stages of human development. It is, therefore, imperative to lay the foundation for being youth much earlier, starting from the mother’s womb, through childhood and adolescence.

Dambazau, CFR, PhD, a former Chief of Army Staff and Minister of Interior, delivered this lecture to the 1970 Intake of the Barewa Old Boys Association.

Read full text of the lecture at dailytrust.com.ng