Rhodes-Vivour: Nigeria needs energy of youth to move forward

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State during the 2023 election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said Nigeria requires the energy and active participation of young people to achieve meaningful development. Rhodes-Vivour stated this on Monday while speaking at the inauguration of 137 local government area coordinators of the South-West Zone of the National Youth […]

The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State during the 2023 election, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has said Nigeria requires the energy and active participation of young people to achieve meaningful development.

Rhodes-Vivour stated this on Monday while speaking at the inauguration of 137 local government area coordinators of the South-West Zone of the National Youth Alliance (NYA), held in Ibadan.

Speaking as chairman of the occasion, Rhodes-Vivour lamented that those currently in positions of power often fail to take decisions that favour young people.

“We need the energy of the youth to move Nigeria forward. Development is supposed to reactivate it,” he said.

According to him, the composition of leadership positions in the country does not reflect youth representation.

“When you look at the Senate, the governors, the presidents, it does not reflect youth representation. That is why they cannot properly make decisions that affect or benefit you,” he said.

He urged young Nigerians to take themselves seriously by organising and participating actively in the political process.

“They only take us seriously when we take ourselves seriously — when we start to participate and when we start to organise,” he added.

The former governorship candidate also criticised the current borrowing culture among those in power, saying the burden would ultimately fall on younger generations.

“They are borrowing money recklessly because they are not the ones who will pay the taxes,” he said. “When your president is budgeting billions every year for asteroid cleaning, you will not use asteroid cleaning when there is no asteroid to clean.”

Rhodes-Vivour therefore charged youths to engage actively in politics, stressing the importance of participation.

“Anytime I hear about participation, I always support it. I ran for the Senate in the largest electoral district in Nigeria when I was 35,” he said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the President of NYA, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, said Nigerian youths possess the numerical strength and capacity to determine the outcome of elections.

He said the Alliance is committed to achieving what he described as “Youth O’Clock” through active political participation and by supporting candidates who prioritise youth interests.

“This inauguration underscores the Alliance’s unwavering commitment to building a disciplined, organised, and people-driven youth movement capable of influencing positive political, social, and economic change,” Abbas said.

Meanwhile, youths drawn from the 137 local government areas across the South-West resolved to work towards making Nigeria function in the interest of all citizens following the inauguration of the coordinators.

The event marked a significant milestone in the ongoing nationwide consolidation of the NYA’s grassroots structure, aimed at strengthening youth participation, leadership development, and inclusive governance.

The newly inaugurated local government coordinators were selected based on credibility, competence, and commitment to youth empowerment and national development.

Their mandate includes mobilising young people at the grassroots, promoting civic engagement, advancing youth and women inclusion in governance, and serving as ambassadors of responsible leadership within their respective local governments.

The South-West zonal inauguration in Ibadan further reflects the NYA’s focus on regional balance, unity, and coordinated action as it continues to expand its presence across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.