Looking around us, at the posh homes,
luxurious lifestyles, nice cars, seems like the people who own these things are
actually making a better impact in the world, like they have more meaning to
their existence. With the change in times today, the youth population and mind-set
is much more complex and diverse.
Bringing it home to Nigeria, we have a huge
disparity for opportunities amongst our youths. Some are rich; some are poor,
while some don’t even have the opportunity at all. In a capitalist nation like
ours, with a huge gap between the rich and the poor, where the masses struggle
to earn a living and they keep getting poorer, while the rich keeps getting
richer. The economic situation is pathetic! Our dear leaders see a need to earn
huge salaries and send their kids to school abroad. Meanwhile, the health
systems, the educations systems, the environment is all in a state of coma.
The world we live in today is such a small
place, it looks so big but trust me; I might just be the cousin you have never
met.
The essence of living is impact. Whether
you are from a poor or rich home, you should live to impact the lives of
others. Growing up as a teenager, I have always been challenged to be the pacesetter,
live a life that exceeds the ordinary and question everything wrong around me
including the status quo.
You may think, “I do not have anything to give. Yes, the educational system is bad, the
health system is bad but I really do not have any business with that, besides I
am not a Senator or Governor, neither is my father, so it really is not my
problem.” The truth is it is your business because Nigeria is our land of
heritage. It is our responsibility to ensure that Nigeria becomes a better
place.
Maybe I should remind you that young people
account for over 60% of new HIV/AIDS infection and amongst those 60% are young women.
1 in 5 young girls are married by age 15. In the last SSCE, less than 15% had 4credits
including Maths and English. About
20million young people struggle to gain entrance into any of the 200 academic
institutions in Nigeria. Thousands of Nigerian graduates roam the streets
unemployed. The rate of abortion keeps increasing, majority of those that
engage in abortions die, millions of children flock the streets for instance Almajiris.
Why? Why must our youth continue to suffer?
Now let me ask you “Is there not a cause?”
Is there not a reason for you to impact and make a difference in the lives of
these youths? Shouldn’t it be said that because you walked the surface of this
earth, Nigeria academic institutions became world best or because you gave 2hrs
of your time to teaching students maths and English an additional 20% passed
Maths and English; or because you took the courage to start that organization
or industry, 1.5young people became employed? Or because you read medicine,
quality in health delivery in Nigeria became the standard. Is there not a
cause?
The world is waiting for you! You do not
have to wait till you are 30, now is the time. Amplify your vision, Amplify
your heart and Amplify your voice. Enough of sitting around and waiting for the
government, we are the government and we are Nigeria for THERE IS A CAUSE!
