By Jude Daniel
A nation the size of Nigeria no doubts has potential to explore. More fascinating is the fact that of the over 200 million people that make up the country, more than 70 per cent are younger breeds. This is corroborated even by the National Bureau of Statistics figures. The point with the number is to underscore the quality of potential lying untapped in Nigeria. Youthful vigour, creativity, innovation, dynamism and capacity remain unharnessed in the social, economic and political space of Nigeria.
Growing up, the youths have at different times heard that they are the leaders of tomorrow. They told themselves this aphorism until some of them woke up to realise they are no longer youths. Sadly, youths are now been perceived as unserious, unproductive and unready for impactful living. Pathetically, it is so easy to come across even a bunch of youths telling themselves that the youths of Nigeria are not ready! This has become the tale of a Nigerian youth who either never got education because parents could not afford it, or has remain jobless years after graduation, or has no skill set, capital or environment to be gainfully employed. They become ready prey for crime, promiscuity or violence.
On the average, majority of Nigerian youth are oppressed, depressed and distressed just for the sole reason that life generally has become more difficult to live in the country. The opportunities that life in the country offers are infinitely so minute that even before they get to the public, a privileged few have cornered them. Many have been pushed by the system to begin to device their own definition and means to survival. The policeman, who receives the heat for high crime rate in the society, is left ill-equipped and overwhelmed. He wrongly fights back through the easy option of finding his own prey – still the youths. A decay that has eaten so badly into the system, always swept under the carpet, never addressed or wrongly addressed until it culminated in the historic October of the year 2020.
#EndSARS struggle remains in the annals of our nation, and indeed global history, as a defining phase especially for the young people of Nigeria. It has been quite a while, perhaps since Independence, that we saw Nigerian youths put up such resilience and resistance. Even at this first anniversary of the Lekki Shooting that climaxed that struggle, the nation is still counting its losses. Panels of inquiries across the country are awarding compensation to the victims of the chaos that somehow was harvested from one of the most peaceful and organised protest ever witnessed from the youths in Africa. What are the lessons none should ignore about that heroic struggle?
The strategy of the #EndSARS protest was never anticipated and that accounted for the very huge success of that struggle. Nigerian youths have sent a message loud and clear that their sanctity of life and dignity of human person is all they have got left. They would defend that with their last blood even at the risk of more episodes of the struggles. However, Nigerian youths yielded to the call for truce with a view to experiencing directional leadership, accountability, lawful and orderly society. They want a new crop of leaders who can offer the nation these ethos, as a large chunk of the current leaders have been bad news. The youths are indeed ready to be the future they desire to see and must be giving platforms to experience a Nigeria steered in the direction they desire.
Crackdown was never the way to go and should never be the way to go as we approach the transitional year of 2023. Survey has proven that force is a fuel that should never be applied against the flames of resistance. The people who have very little or nothing to lose will fight back when pushed beyond the bounds of their tolerance. Now is the time for the government and all of its agencies to begin to work out ways they can smartly douse down the tension in the polity, especially among the youths. The youths must see objectivity, transparency, reasonable independence and global best practices in the operations of all that the government, its agencies and ministries do. This is the time to woo the Nigerian youths to explore diplomatic, peaceful and participatory engagement of the polity to fully harness the human and economic potentials of the nation.
The political consciousness of majority of the Nigerian youths has been awakened by the #EndSARS struggle. They are more interested in the qualities of the next generation of leaders for the country. A group known as Africa Youth Democratic Party (AYDP) has even approached the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in December, 2020 for registration but was turned down. The youths conducted themselves civilly and challenged INEC’s decision in an Abuja High Court where they secured a favourable Judgment. Strangely, INEC, for reasons best known to it, has decided to appeal that judgment. There is a strong message of hope here that the youths are willing to follow process and peace paths, a gesture that should be reciprocated. Although the propriety of INEC appealing a decision that favours the registration of the youths’ party leaves much to be desired, the youths are encouraged to continue in this path of trust for the system, and hope not to be disappointed at the end.
The government, by itself or through its agencies, should not allow the youths to have any reason to think they are being suppressed or cracked down. Unleashing masked police officers at dawn on 20th October, 2021 and the brutality was shameless, highhanded and is totally condemned. The least the government can do at this time is to give us a voice we can identify with – a platform to ease our participation in politics. A good way to start earning the trust of the youths will be to commiserate with them for their losses on 20th October, 2020, rather than seek international apologies for atrocities the government would not own up to. It is also not too much to ask that 20th October be declared the new National Youth Day in Nigeria to honour all taken down in their prime.