Undoubtedly, being youthful means full of life, energy and agility. It is a stage of apex awareness and consciousness. Whatever a youth pursues at this point is pursed without detour.
Youthful exuberance is an avenue for constructive productivity. Also energetic, vivacious, passionate and enthusiastic are words that best capture the essence of what a full youth is.
It is that stage in a human development process where his energy fills up and overflows into numerous pre-established channels that may either be productive or a sheer waste of time and energy.
Imagine youths converge and dedicate all the above listed to a cause.
Nigeria as a country had her foundation on such (youthful) cause. I refer to the Anthony Enahoro’s ‘declaration’ of independence for the country in 1953. He has been regarded by academics and many Nigerians as the “Father of Nigeria State.
Enahoro became the editor of Nnamdi Azikiwe’s newspaper, the Southern Nigerian Defender, Ibadan, in 1944 at the age of 21, thus becoming Nigeria’s youngest editor ever.
Among the people who took the fore of the struggle were Olayinka Herbert Macaulay (1864–1946), Candido Joao Da Rocha (1860-March 11, 1959), Dr. J.K Randle, Dr. C.C Adeniyi Jones, Dr. J.A Caulcrick, Candido da Rocha, Adeyemo Alakija, and Kitoye Ajasa and Aina Sara.
In latter days were Professor Eyo Ìta (1903–1972), Alvan Ikoku (1900–1971), Chief Obafemi Awolowo (1909–1987), Sir Ahmadu Bello (1910–1966), Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912–1966), Chief Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá, Chief Anthony Enahoro (1923–2010), among others.
(Though much earlier, exactly November 23, 1851, at Windsor Castle, Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther had persuaded Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert that “Lagos must be bombarded”. Many believe that this birthed Modern Nigeria. This is a story for another day though).
Nnamdi Azikiwe rose to prominence when he released the first issue of The West African Pilot, his widely read newspaper, on November 22, 1937.
But on Friday, June 19, 1953, Azikiwe, Awolowo, and Bello had their first encounter.
Nigeria experienced a constitutional crisis as a result of its independence and the resignation of all federal ministers from the Action Group party. Following that, the secretary of state for colonies, Oliver Lyttleton, made an effort to improve the situation by summoning the key players to a constitutional conference in London, which resulted in the 1954 Lyttleton Constitution.
Bello was okay with Azikiwe and Awolowo rejecting the terms and circumstances of this constitution. But in order to collectively create new terms and circumstances, Nigeria’s governor-general, John Macpherson, invited Azikiwe, Awolowo, and Bello to his office.
The three MPs were introduced to the media by Macpherson after the meeting, which finished at 10:10 p.m. The Daily Times referred to them as “The Big Three” the next day.
However, it is saddened many people understand what convergence of the youths may result to, hence they infiltrate and divide them with the premises of sentiments, religions, tribes, gender, fields of engagement and the likes. It is an open secret that many youths are paid to bemoan youthful cause(s).
Some are distracted by entertainment, Big Brother Naija is on the fore here.
We have had situations that some youths will be saying A and some will be saying B, and with suchlike situations; the center will not hold.
To me, Nigerian youths are too divided and lack focus needed to pursue a cause. And as such, Youth which supposed to be an avenue for constructive productivity, if diligently monitored by the provision of necessary platforms fitted with essential gadgets needed to shape and reshape the shapers of tomorrow into productive units, fall before the tinniest of challenges.
They exercise this kind of lethargy to leadership, business and governance, as if they are all mathematical impossibilities. It is not a surprise that a journalist and presidential spokesman describe them as “keypad warriors”. They are on Twitter giving savage responses, Tiktok dancing, Facebook dishing ‘vawulence’ and IG vibing.
Bleak future. Impending doomsday!
(c) Jimoh Taofik Adekunle
July 2, 2022
Jimson Jaat Taofik is a trained journalist, blogger, author and public relations officer.
