RIGHT OF THE AFRICAN YOUTH BY WALE ODUNSI

RIGHT OF THE AFRICAN YOUTH

It is a truism that youths are the future of tomorrow; this fact has overtime remained undisputed. From generation to generation, the youth have proven to be an efficient tool and an integral part of any (serious) nation. The physical and intellectual dexterity they possess cannot be overlooked. To buttress this, analysts say that the productivity of a nation depends largely on its youth. However, here in Africa, it has been a case of mixed tales; the luckless destiny of the youth seems fait accompli. While counterparts in the developed world can stand tall and boast of world-class facilities in the areas of -but not limited to- education, healthcare, sports, arts, information technology, we curiously lag behind. As if not enough, our leaders have shown little political will to turn around the abysmal fortune. If you are reading this piece and hold a dissimilar view concerning the youths of Africa as aforementioned, it is either you have been in coma, lived all your life in the Diaspora or purely naive.


It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said “a leader is a dealer in hope”. This obviously cannot be said about leaders in this part of the world as most are not fit even as retailers of hope. Their common myopia, rascality and sit-tight syndrome are some of the scary idiosyncrasies which have brought us all to this level of little cognizance by the larger world. Not many will argue that ‘third world countries’ as we are often regarded live in anguish and in some cases abject poverty in the midst of abundance. It is trite that sizable erstwhile regimes in Africa failed in the implementation of youth development-oriented programmes that would have freed us off these ostensible shackles we find ourselves. While it appears graft, lack of zeal, bigotry and disdain hampered successive governments from vigorously carrying out quality ideas, others simply had no clear-cut vision for their respective countries.


Remarkably, the enduring aspirations of the African youth have always been to face up to their adverse circumstances instead of waiting for a miracle to change the situation. Of course they are aware that the needed solutions will not just drop from high heavens on their laps without their own initiative. But the question is: Do they have the right and enabling environment? Indeed it is a shame that decades after gaining independence from colonial masters, the continent at this time and age is battling with common things like infrastructural development. Till today, upon human, material and natural blessings, many countries continually record unappealing gross domestic product statistic; uncertainty pervades good standard of living; battle against malaria and other killer-diseases had not yet been won despite massive grants/aids from donor countries and agencies; inflation rate soar at will; access to equity, fairness and justice still a daydream; alarming index of unemployment; concept of self-dependence gradually erasing; evident dismal performance of undergraduates/graduates. Er, need say more? It is pathetic that all pointers give cause for worry. Alas! We have governments in place.

The predicament is a helpless but not a hopeless situation. Our leaders can redeem their image (if they cared) by displaying more purposefulness and determination in the discharge of affairs of governance. The first step that should be considered is the immediate convocation of an African Union convention with special and unflinching attention to the youth. A Charter must be put in place where the rights of the African Youth must be distinctly spelt out. A follow up to this should be that all member-countries as a matter of urgency include content of the charter in their constitutions while individuals with impressive tracks and impeccable character should be appointed to manage ministries overseeing issues that affects youths.

Also, the recommendation by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) that 26 percent of countries’ annual budget be devoted to education must henceforth be implemented without further delay. Ideally, such a declaration ought to be obeyed in view of the fact that it seeks to improve quality formal education. It is not only mind-boggling but sad that majority of the continent’s governments have disregarded the directive with apparent contempt and flagrant impunity despite being signatories. This is not unexpected since their wards get the best education in western countries to the chagrin of the citizenry and detriment of their nations at large.

Lastly, the cankerworm that has eating too deep into the fabric of our society, corruption, is worth and must be included in the list of crimes against humanity by the United Nations. Already a pressure group in Nigeria CEASE CORRUPTION (CC) has initiated the move. It is imperative to send a stern signal to people of crooked tactic that they cannot eat their cake and have it. The world-body will do the youth an eternal good by seeing that this clarion call sees light of the day. The time to halt the lawlessness and executive brigandage of the elite and ruling class is now.


It is believed that more effort will be put into area of youth development lest the supposed bright future become austere. To be a force to reckon with, it will take more than the usual earth-shaking prayers and ample good luck wishes to better the lot and fortune of African young adults. What is expected of our leaders is a conscious but genuine resolute to confront the present challenges headlong. The youth on the other hand must ensure Bertrand Russell’s philosophy that “extreme hopes should be the response to extreme misery”. Perhaps if we get our acts right, who says the countries of the continent, cannot be in the league world powers in the near future.