Divergent views have been expressed about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s proposed National Youth Conference. Many youth leaders have embraced the idea on the condition that it should not end up merely as a talk-shop because they want the Federal Government to make commitments to implement the report of the confab. Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI reports
Many youth leaders have embraced the idea of a national youth conference proposed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently during his 64th Independence Day broadcast, saying it could provide a veritable platform to discuss and address challenges confronting the younger generation of Nigerians.
Tayo Oluyi, president of the Oodua Youth Coalition, advised fellow young Nigerians not to sit on the fence but continue to engage with the government by insisting on what is right. He said: “If the people in government believe this is the time to call for a youth conference, so be it. We must seize the initiative and put those in government on their toes to ensure that the various interest groups are represented among the delegates that would participate in the exercise.
“My recommendation to young people would be that they should not just be on social media and criticize alone; we should also engage. When you talk about those involved in government, it is not just those in Aso Rock or the various Government Houses littered across the country, it also includes people at various leadership stages. We must offer ourselves for leadership in our microcosm environment by doing something, rather than continue to complain as we have always done. It may help if we join a political party; even if we do not join a political party, we can be part of a social movement to advocate for good governance.
President of the Senate of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Babatunde Akinteye has also endorsed the proposed National Youth Conference. He said despite the disagreement of young people with the government on various issues, it is necessary to sit at a round table to discuss rather than continue to resort to combative engagements as the youths have been doing. He said: “There is a point where the youths of this country must dialogue and share their opinions with the government. Since the government says it will implement the outcome of this proposed youth conference, I think we should embrace it. After every war, there is always the need to come to a round table.
“We have been protesting all along but since we now have an opportunity to sit with the government to present our grievances to them, we should capitalize on it. But, if our views are not implemented, we can continue protesting. This is a way to consolidate all we have been saying. Every youth has his or her opinion on how things should be done to take the country forward. With this youth conference, it is time to take it to the authorities.”
Akinteye wants two young persons from all the 774 local governments represented at the confab. He also wants various interest groups and youth associations represented. He added: “We cannot have all the youths at the conference but we must have their representatives that speak for them. When we organize protests, for instance, we always have spokesmen that speak for us. So, people like that should be among the delegates to speak on our behalf. When we have discussions such as the one we are about to have and there is an implementation of such discussions, there would be peace.”
On the agenda of the youth conference, the NANS leader said it should revolve around the solution to all the problems adversely affecting the lives of Nigerians, such as the unintended consequences of the removal of petroleum subsidies. He said: “For instance, there is a hardship as a result of the removal of the petroleum subsidy, how do we ameliorate the hardship on the various categories of Nigerians? Most of the palliatives that the government is pushing out to cushion the pains of the masses are not getting to them. So, how do we do it? How do we get the youths to buy into the programmes and policies of the government? On Nigerian students, the government says it is doing so many things to help them but it appears not to be reaching many of those it is intended for.”
Akinteye urged Nigerian youths to love the country because they have no other one.
The representative of Zamfara State at the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Jamila Saeed Ismail, also believes that another gathering of young people to proffer solutions to the country’s problems is a welcome development. But, she asks, rhetorically, “Is the government ready to listen to us, the youths?” She added: “Are they prepared to take our ideas seriously and incorporate them as part of the solution to the problems bedevilling the country? Yes, the platform is important and it is welcome. But is it going to be functional? We need more than just discussions on the platform; we need commitments from our leaders so that the ideas and solutions from the conference can be transformed into concrete actions that would help move the country forward. Nigerian youths are ready to contribute. But we need assurance that we would not just be heard but that our contributions would be accepted and implemented by the government.”
Ismail said for the conference to succeed, there must be inclusivity. Her words: “There should be a diverse representation of the youths from all the regions. Culture and gender should also be part of it. Women and people from different socio-economic backgrounds must be included in the delegates. In this regard, youths from urban and rural areas must be carried along as part of the conference, so that no one is left behind. We also need to hear the voices of experienced youths in Nigeria at the conference. The authorities should also incorporate practical workshops and training on leadership, security, civic engagement and entrepreneurship, particularly on applying digital tools in small and medium-scale businesses, as part of the conference to empower the participating youths.”
Dumebi Kachikwu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) during the last general election, said the idea of a 30-day national youth conference is a brilliant one if it is well implemented. He said: “The president spent a better part of his speech addressing the youth; this is a reaction to the recent protests by the youth. The president understands that the youths are aggrieved right now and that he needs to do something. He is making a good and grand plan in that direction but it would boil down to implementation. I am happy he acknowledges that he needs to do something about the youths, who he said makeup 60 per cent of our population. I like the idea but let’s see how it would be implemented.
“Like I said, the president already has an ongoing N110 billion National Youth Empowerment Fund. Is that money being disbursed? How many people have benefitted from it? So, the president is doing some of the noble things. But are those entrusted with the implementation doing what they are supposed to do? So, the ideas are good but it all boils down to the implementation.”
Kachikwu said he believes Tinubu is different from other presidents who have governed the country in the past and that he is likely to implement the outcome of the proposed youth conference. The former presidential candidate said every Nigerian, irrespective of their status, has a role in developing the country. He believes the japa syndrome, which has resulted in hundreds of thousands of young Nigerians fleeing the country for greener pastures abroad, has depleted the ranks of the middle class that is supposed to be the engine room of the country’s development. Ironically, he said Asian nationals from countries like India and China have been coming into Nigeria and taking over the small-scale businesses that the fleeing young Nigerians could have been engaged in if they had had the vision to do so.
Emmanuel Gabari, a social worker, broadcaster and United Nations Youth Parliament Ambassador, is very passionate about the general development of youths. He said Nigerians should give the Tinubu administration the benefit of the doubt because every government has their modus operandi. He said for the Tinubu administration, bringing young people together to identify the challenges facing the younger generation, could be its priority. “This could be because of the general feeling of despondency and abandonment among the youths who believe that the political class has failed to provide effective leadership to tackle the country’s socio-economic challenges,” he added.
But Gabari said bringing people who are not “key stakeholders” like the youths to talk about the solutions to the country’s challenges might not be very impactful because they may be carried away by the sudden recognition and respect by the governing authorities. He said: “For example, if I am your house boy and you want to talk about the budget or the new house you want to build, I may not have valuable input to make in the conversation. The youth have never been valued in this country. So, suddenly calling them to talk about nation-building may not elicit the desired response. Many are still living with their parents and are still dependent on them.
“Nevertheless, let us give the government the benefit of the doubt because it is better to do something and not succeed than not do anything. In this regard, I hope they will also ensure that quality delegates are nominated for the conference. It should not be a case of politicians using it to settle political patronage by bringing their hangers-on and others who would have little or nothing to contribute to the conversation, thereby turning it into a jamboree. Some may not even enter the hall; they may be watching BB Naija or Zee World during the conference.
“Nigeria has always had beautiful policies and recommendations but the political will to implement them has always been lacking. Would the recommendations of the proposed youth conference not be dumped like the previous ones? Even when we copy beautiful policies from abroad, we distort them and they lose their beauty. Take the Student Loan Scheme for instance, I understand the money is paid directly to the schools and not to the students. One appreciates the idea of paying directly to schools to guard against diverting the money to other uses. Nevertheless, the money should go directly to the beneficiaries, as long as it is a loan they are obliged to pay back and not a gift from the national coffers.
“What of a situation where the student has already paid half of the fees or he or she seeks and gets a transfer to another institution? I know of such cases. Besides, in many student loans I know of across the globe, the money is given directly to students because they are adults. But, the way it is now, the corruption would move from the students to the institutions. That is why we have ghost workers; people on the payroll that are not working with the establishments concerned.”
Some of the objectives of the 30-day national youth conference are to find a solution to the age-long problem of youth unemployment and promote networking and collaboration to ensure their voices are heard. Tinubu’s words: “It will provoke meaningful dialogue and empower our young people to participate actively in nation-building. By ensuring that their voices are heard in shaping the policies that impact their lives, we are creating a pathway for a brighter tomorrow.
“Through this confab, it will be our job as leaders to ensure that their aspirations are at the heart of the conference’s deliberations. The government will thoroughly consider and implement the recommendations and outcomes from this forum as we remain resolute in our mission to build a more inclusive, prosperous, and united Nigeria.”
Tinubu said no one can decide for the youths on nominating delegates for the conference, as this would be worked out in close collaboration with them through their representatives. He promised a youth-centric programme capable of producing three million technical talents.
