5 ENEMIES OF THE NIGERIAN YOUTH

5 ENEMIES OF THE NIGERIAN YOUTH

5 ENEMIES OF THE NIGERIAN YOUTH

wake up

I just stumbled on a short story that depicts the plight of the Nigerian youth. Take a read;

A man went to a fortune teller to hear what she had to say about his future. She looked into a crystal ball and said, "You will be poor and unhappy until you are forty-five years old"
"Then what will happen", asked the man hopefully
"Then you will get used to it", she said.

 The Nigerian youth has found him/her self relegated to the back in the community of youths in the world. This is not because we don't have the talent or the energy to compete with youths form across the globe but we have allowed ourselves to get used to some things. It bothers me when a young man, not physically or mentally disable, goes month to month without money in his pocket and he is not concerned. Its annoys me when I see young ladies in their twenties and thirties who should be dressing responsibly, packaging themselves to be respected and desired by a responsible man still dressing as though they are going to a high school prom or night club. It pains me when a young man in his late thirties and forties still call himself o-boy and actually behaving like a boy. We live in the twenty first century when you have access to nearly the same amount of information as a young person any where in the world has. I believe that any youth that fails in this time and age should be flogged by his/her ancestors. They would have given any thing to live in such a time as these. We are failing because we have become comfortable. We have become so used to the following;

• Ourselves: We have being living in the same body all our lives so we have become used to it. We some times loose touch of the fact that we are getting old every second. I constantly put in the effort to remind myself how old I am. Can I ask you a question? If your little you sees who he/she has become will he/she be proud. When you were little did you admire people that are like who you are right now? Don't waste that child's life. That child that trekked to school, had nothing to eat, read all night to pass his exams. Be conscious of your mortality. You can live your life any way you want to but you can only live it once.
•  Parents: Parents are very useful during childhood but they might be a stumbling block to your success if you remain comfortable being that little child that they cared for. Many Nigerian youths are failing right now because they don't want to declare independence from their parents. They don't think they can survive without them. Listen you will fail if you remain a daddy or mommy's boy. Most of our parents left their villages and their parents behind in search of opportunities in big towns and cities. Today they want to shield us from the challenges that made great women and men out of them. Can I tell you the truth most of your parents don't trust you. Tell the average Nigerian parent that you need 5 million naira to undertake a masters degree program and they will give you. But after that program tell that same parent that you need 1 million to start up a business, and they will say I don't have. Its time for the Caterpillar to become a butterfly. Its time to come out of your cocoons. The world awaits your beauty.
• Being called Leaders of tomorrow: From primary school the Nigerian youth had been hypnotized to think that he is the leader of tomorrow. You can never lead tomorrow because you can never live in a day called tomorrow. This is why men that have ruled this nation twenty, thirty years ago keep recycling themselves. Listen you are a leader today. Youths out there all over the world are making impact, leading different spheres of human life while we sit and wait for   tomorrow. Friends we must lead today. You are not too young to be successful. Make a mark.
• Blaming the Government: In almost every news paper stand you will see people talking about politics, politicians and how the government is not helping them. The government can not solve your problem, they can only subsidize it. You have to take up responsibility. No body owes you any thing not even the government. success is not something you are given you have to go out there and get it. If you will change every thing will change for you. Taxes by the government are heavy, but there are more taxes that are more grievous to us; we are taxed twice as much by our laziness, three times as much by our pride and four times as much from our foolishness. For these taxes no government is responsible.
• Friends: A wise man said that you will remain the same way you are today five years from now but for the books you read and the people you meet. Many folks have become comfortable with their friends, You have to give up some friends to go up in life because you become the combined average of the five people you hang out with. The companion of fools gets destroyed. There are two kinds of people in the world; those who lift and those who lean. Don't get used to a leaner except you are posing for a photograph.

The Nigerian youth is capable of holding his own. I believe true change will start with the new generation of empowered youths. Share this post with your friends, as we take over our world.