AN ADDRESS TO THE NIGERIAN YOUTH
IT’S IN YOU.
I sincerely appreciate the Most High for giving me the wisdom and inspiration to present this timely address to the Nigerian youth. Blessed be God.
I also thank all the Nigerian youth who are reading or listening to this address right now, you have made me believe that my waking up early today to write this address was a not waste of time. Blessed be the youth.
I appreciate my humble self for having the privilege and timely vision in this defining moment of clamor for change in our Nation to address our Most Specially, The Nigerian youth. I have not the best of qualifications educationally, neither have I achieved a noble feat, nor have built a successful enterprise worthy of mention. But I believe that the Nigerian youth have all the resources (human and intellectual) to transform Nigeria and restore it from the bondage of all ages. Based on this belief, I felt compelled to address the Nigerian youth. Blessed be me.
Fifty years ago, after all denials and negotiations, Nigeria was granted the freedom by her colonial masters the British Government to become an independent Nation.
Freedom to govern herself. Freedom to build her economy and most especially freedom to plan and build her future.
I choose to disagree that the British gave us that freedom, so that Nigeria can become the second most corrupt country of the world, or among the poorest nation of the earth.
I choose to disagree that the British gave us independence, so that we would have freedom to lavish our resources, freedom for our public officers to corruptly enrich themselves, freedom for our politicians to rig elections and get away with it.
Freedom for our youths to take up advanced fee fraud, internet scam, robbery and kidnapping as a means of livelihood.
I choose to disagree that that was the reason the British agreed to give us independence.
Fifty years after our independence, it appears that the dreams of our founding fathers- Herbert Macaulay, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Anthony Enahoro, and Sir Abubaka Tafawa Belewa among others have not been realized.
The dream for a great, prosperous and peaceful nation
The dream for a true giant of Africa; the pride of the world
According to Mbazulike Amechi, the start of our nationhood was full of hopes, bright and promising but as the years rolled bye and government changed the hopes and dreams became a mirage.
To take us down the memory lane, you can as well agree with me that Nigeria have witnesses so many crises, which have threatened its existence as a nation.
The western election crises of 1965, the first military coup in 1966, the counter coup and its numerous reprisal killings, then the Nigeria Biafran war, the June 12 crises, the Niger- delta crises. In spite of these crises, Nigeria still remains as one nation. God be blessed.
After diligently studying and analyzing the situations in Nigeria- its strengths and .weaknesses, opportunities and threats. I can boldly declare that;
If there is any Nigerian youth today questioning the reason for the continued existence of Nigeria?
Any Nigerian youth bothered on why Nigeria has not been able to leapfrog into the league of developed nations.
Whether Nigeria can still become a great, prosperous and peaceful nation
Any Nigerian youth who does not believe that by 2035, that Nigeria would become the most attractive and desirable nation to live in.
LET TODAY BE YOUR ANSWER
I am happy to stand in the gap today as a voice to lead a fresh revolution for the transformation and total restoration of the Nigerian nation.
For the sake of Nigeria will I not hold my peace, and because of our inability to be a leading developed nation will I not rest, till I see Nigeria become the most attractive and desirable nation to live in.
My fellow Nigerian youth, believe me, the road we are going to take would not be easy, because the road to change never is, but through bits by bits, line by line, actions upon actions we can make it possible.
The lepers in the book, Hopes of the Living Dead written by the renowned playwright author, Prof. Ola Rotimi said, “if the society would not do something to change their situation, they with their inadequacy and deformity would rise up to do something about it and effect a change”.
This statement is my driving force of motivation to be among the leading change agents for the transformation of Nigeria.
Chinua Achebe in one of his book; The Trouble with Nigeria said “Does it ever worry us that history which neither personal wealth nor power can pre-empt will pass terrible judgment on us, pronounce anathema on our names when we have accomplished our betrayal and passed on; We have lost the twentieth century are we bent on seeing that our children lose the twenty-first? God forbid.
I found out that Chinua Achebe spoke to our Fathers. He was unhappy that our Fathers failed in the twentieth century to build a desirable nation for us. He told them to do something in order not failing their children again in the twenty-first century.
My fellow Nigerian youth, we are the children Chinua Achebe referred to, we are the ones he was trying to protect, it was our future that was his concern.
I would not debate or question how far our fathers went in building a great nation for us. One thing I know is that the average Nigerian youth is not comfortable with his standard of living in Nigeria.
When I was a child I was told Obi is a boy
As I grew up, in my secondary school I was still told Obi is a boy, I hissed.
During my tertiary education I was told Obi is a boy.
And I said No. Obi is no longer a boy.
Obi is now a man.
My fellow Nigerian youth, we have come of age to start thinking of how to build a great, prosperous and peaceful Nation for our children.
We are the change we have been waiting for
We are the government we desired
We are the leaders we want
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
The change we have been waiting for is in us
The change we have been waiting for is in you.
My fellow Nigerian youth, for us to build that great, prosperous and peaceful Nation, each and every one of us have a role to play. Play it.
We must fight our enemies. Our enemies are not the British, those we have regularly accused of joining different nation into one nation. Our enemies are not those who have looted our treasury and failed the opportunity they have in building a great nation for us. Our enemies are not those from the east who hates those from the west, or those from the south who hates those from the north.
Our enemies are ourselves. We became enemy to ourselves when we believe that what is wrong with Nigeria cannot be solved by what is right with Nigeria.
We became enemy to ourselves when we choose to look the other way and watch our nation deteriorate.
OUR ETHNICITY AND TRIBE
Our ethnicity and tribe should be our strength and not our weakness. We may not speak the same language and dialect, we may not have the same culture, dress and look the same but we all share the same hope and aspirations and tend to move in one direction, to build a great, prosperous and peaceful nation.
I believe this was the vision and dream of one of our founding fathers Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe- The great Zik of Africa. He wanted a One Nigeria. A Nigerian nation where one can live, study and work in any place of his choice and partake in any political activity as well as pursue any legitimate goal.
I can see a Nigeria, where my child can stand to contest and win election from another region of the country. I can see it coming.
My fellow Nigerian youth, it is our responsibility and chance to make it happen. Let us build on where our fathers failed. Though our tribe and tongue may differ, let’s stand and live in unity.
To the Northerners, the easterners are not as bad as you think.
To the easterners, the westerners are not as wicked as you think.
To the westerners, the Niger-deltas are not as cruel as you presume.
We need to understand ourselves and understand our differences.
We are all good and nice, though we have our weaknesses, our strengths is greater. Though our opinions may differ, let’s value each other.
United we stand, divided we leap.
RELIGION
Nigeria is a highly religious nation. I once stumbled on a report which said that Nigerians are the most happiest people on the earth and one of the statistics was not because we have a good standard of living or because we are too proud of our country but because we are simply religious.
Religion has caused a lot of controversy, confusion and crises in our nation. Sometimes the way we go about religion in Nigeria does not really portray the symbol of Godliness.
Most Nigerians have been denied jobs because of their religion. Some have been killed as a result of their religion. A lot of Nigerians have suffered and many more are still suffering because of their religion.
We cannot build a great, prosperous and peaceful nation unless we solve the problems and differences between Christians and Moslems. We have to really confront our differences, agree on some point and disagree to agree on another point.
Jesus Christ the Author of the Christian faith admonishes that we follow peace with all men. To the Christian I say, lets reason on how to live peacefully with our Moslem brothers. Remember, how can two walk together unless they agree
Then most especially our Moslem brothers, see your Christian brothers more as a brother than an enemy. My Moslem friend made me to understand that Islam means peace. Let peace reign between us and our Christian brothers.
If building a great, prosperous and peaceful nation is our target, then let peace reign.
EDUCATION
We are in a defining moment in the history of the world. Our nation faces challenges of preparing the Nigerian youth to compete favorably in a global economy. We cannot ensure we are ready to face the challenges of the Twenty-first century if we fail to recognize the impact of education in us.
It is no more a hidden fact that it seems our educational system has failed us. Each year our university produces a lot of half-baked graduates. It has failed to produce graduates that can effectively engage the challenges of modern human advance.
The budget for education still falls below the approved standard as set by the United Nation Millennium Development Goal- UNMDG. Indeed it seems our leaders do not understand the implications of not paying adequate concentration of educational advancement in our nation.
What shall the Nigerian youth do?
In my book; What Every Nigerian Student Should Know, I emphasized that the purpose of school is not to acquire certificate but to really get educated. I explained further that “education has to do with acquiring knowledge that would bring out the skills, potentials, divine deposits, abilities in us which we would use to achieve our purposes in life”.
I further introduced what I called Self-Education. I defined Self-Education as the development and empowerment of oneself towards the realization of one’s goals and aspiration in life.
What informs that thought is that the Nigerian student should look above what is taught in school and go to any length to advance him in knowledge. The Nigerian youth I admonish you to make the supreme sacrifice of starving yourself and go to any length to empower yourself intellectually. This would help you to contribute positively to the transformation of our nation.
We are not what we are being called. We are not half-baked, we are no quacks, and we are no dummy. It is the absence of the right educational facilities and human resource that makes it seems so.
Let’s pay the price to educate ourselves with all our might and build the right institutions and complement the efforts of our fathers, so that our children can live in a nation, we have dream of.
Say no to cultism. Say no to exam malpractice. Say no to partying and clubbing.
Say yes to reading and research. Yes to seminars and workshops, yes to Self-education. Yes to capacity building.
Remember we are the change we have been waiting for.
PATRIOTISM
Arise o com-Patriots
Nigeria call obey
To serve our fathers land
With love and strength and faith
The labour of our heroes past
Shall never be in vain
To serve with all our might
Our nation bound in freedom
Peace and unity
Herbert Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro, Tafawa Belewa- We sing our national anthem today because these men made it possible. Their voices, deeds, visions, determination, courage and faith made it possible for us to gain our freedom. They are patriots.
How far have we achieved this call?
Have we been true patriots?
Who is a patriot?
A patriot is simply someone who has an undying love for his country and can defend it.
My fellow Nigerian youth, we have not been truly patriotic; myself inclusive. But I have determined to press forward to be a true Nigerian patriot.
Patriotism is when you do those ideal things, those perfect actions you do, either in open or in closet. That is what I call patriotism.
Nowadays I buy a sachet of pure water on the road and after I finished drinking the content, I squeezed the nylon and look out for a dust-bin to put it in and when I found none, I still carry it along till I find a dust-bin where I can dispose it. I have ceased from throwing the nylon sachet on the road. That is what I call patriotism.
I purchased a recharge card and after crediting my phone, I still look out for a dust-bin to put it in and when I see none, I hold it till I find a dust-bin where I dispose it. I have stopped dropping it on the floor after use. That is what I call patriotism.
When I go out to vote for a candidate based on content of his character and his vision not because I was influenced by an incentive. That is what I call patriotism.
Patriotism is all about expression of love towards your Nation. You can’t afford to hurt someone you love. You cannot afford to betray your love. You always protect honour and demonstrate love. When you do these acts to Nigeria; it is what I call patriotism.
Those bad habits we think does not matter matters a lot. Let go of any acts or actions that can jeopardize the interest of the Nation.
My fellow Nigerian youth, if building a great, prosperous and peaceful Nation is our target; let patriotism should be the Hallmark.
ELECTION
My fellow Nigerian youth, let us step into that stage where our votes should really count. If change would come to Nigeria, then we should pay adequate attention on those we vote into power.
It is tine we became the architect of our future. It is time we bought our future. It is time we refused to sell our birth right. It time we said no to our appetite. No to bribery. No to incentives. I know the offer would be great and juicy, but we shall for one rise up and say No.
No is the answer. No is the key to our transformation. Change is what we want. Change is what we need and the sacrifice of change we must pay.
INTEGRITY
My fellow Nigerian youth, I believe we can make our generation, a generation that thrives on integrity. Nigeria is regarded as one of the most corrupt nation of the earth, due to the absence of integrity.
Corruption has become the major virus affecting our progress as a nation. It is so rampant that it seems that one cannot make progress or move forward without being corrupt. For the avoidance of doubt, a corrupt person is not just the stole millions and billions from the treasury. It extends to me and you.
When we cheat to pass our examinations, when we give a token in return for a favour. That is corruption.
During my training with LEAPAfrica Integrity Institute, I was taught that corruption is the impairment of integrity, virtue or moral principle. Inducement to wrong by improper or unlawful means (as bribery), and a departure from the original or from what is pure and correct.
LEAPAfrica listed examples of Acts of corruption as
Abuse of power
Misuse of government funds/poverty
Examination malpractice
Favouritism
Plagiarism
Corporate prostitution
Influence peddling
Cronyism
Nepotism, fraud
Advance fee fraud (419)
Mismanagement
Vote rigging/buying
Round tripping by Banks
Bribery and Extortion
My fellow Nigerian youth, for us to build a great, prosperous and peaceful nation, we must avoid all these acts of corruption. Our character should be built on integrity.
Integrity is the mother of a great destiny. Integrity should be our lifestyle. My good friend, Okafor- Nonso Smart use to say this- Be careful of your actions, because you might be the bible your neighbor is reading.
My fellow Nigeria youth; our nation need men of integrity, men of good character, men of honesty and men of uprightness. We can transform ourselves to have all these virtues. It would definitely cost us something. Yes change is costly. We must pay the price and we would pay the price.
Let integrity part of us
Let integrity be our Watch Word
CAPACITY BUILDING
My fellow Nigerian youth, it was Americans that made United States what it is today. It was also the Chinese that transformed china, it was the Malaysians that transformed Malaysia, the South-Koreans made south-Korea what it is today.
I can go on and on to mention countries that has risen to great heights as a result of determination of its citizens.
But why is the story of Nigeria different. Why is it that in Nigeria the average Nigerian youth does not believe that Nigeria can be developed? An average Nigerian feels left concerned about contributing to Nigeria’s development. Your conscience is my witness.
The average Nigerian youth would want to leave this country immediately he sees an opportunity to seek greener pastures where ever it is possible, even in Ghana.
The fast development of Ghana beats my imagination: constant electricity, good standard of education, and even improved economy. The case of Ghana no doubt reinforced my belief that with right governance development is possible.
Nigeria where is the strength of thy resources?
It is only Nigerians that can transform Nigeria. Until we put that in our consciousness we cannot make any headway.
Making Nigeria a great, prosperous and peaceful nation and the most desirable nation to live in by 2035 is No cheap talk. It involves hard work. Every hand must be on deck. Everyone must make input. I hold this deepest belief that we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together.
We need to come out from our comfort zone and equip ourselves with every arsenal of knowledge, trainings and education.
We need to strive to excellence. We need to accept responsibility and make our brain work and make it sweat. Then our nation and economy would be the envy of other nations.
We deserved to be envied and not to be pitied. Nigeria deserved to be a lender to nations and not a borrower.
I have this innermost believe that we can make it possible. This can only be possible if only we can pay the price of capacity building.
The challenges of our time cannot be solved only by the output from our university. Isaac Newton said “I have been able to see farther because I stood on the shoulders of those that came before me”.
The truth is that most of our educational institutions that would build us are out-dated. Therefore in the interim, let some of us go to the western community and acquire knowledge and skills, then come back and help our nation.
The Indians went to America and acquired knowledge in medical science and put it back in their country. Today Americans are in India to study what Indians learnt from them that they don’t know.
Those who can’t afford to study abroad should take advantage of various professional programs, seminars and workshops and also self-educate themselves to enhance their skills.
My fellow Nigerians youth, an Igbo proverb said “adina ka onu akoro gi”. It means do not be like what they called you. They said we are corrupt, let’s seize from it.
They said we are underdeveloped, let’s develop ourselves. They said we are no more qualified to be classified as a third world country but rather a forth world nation. Let’s prove them wrong, that by 2035 that Nigeria would become the most desirable nation to live in.
This can only be through Capacity Building. YES WE CAN.
Finally my fellow Nigerian youth, the development we have been waiting for is in our hands. Our nation is Fifty years old and have not make a remarkable improvement in our economy, infrastructural development, electricity, education and even sports development.
Nations that we were ahead of after the first few years of our independence; nations like- Botswana, South- Africa, Ghana, South-Korea, Malaysia etc have all gone beyond us.
But I am confident that with our resources coupled with right thinking, right actions that we can make Nigeria The pride of the world.
Our fathers have done their best. We congratulate them on their effort. They in their youthful days decided to collect the leadership from their fathers to build a great future for their children. The time for them to take a deserving rest has come. All we require from them is their blessings, support and fatherly counsel. We promise not to disappoint them and disappoint their grandchildren.
Standing in the gap as a major voice for the transformation and restoration of Nigeria. I wake every Nigerian youth from slumber. Let the Nigerian youth build that great, prosperous and peaceful nation.
My vision that by 2035, Nigeria would become the most desirable nation to live in is real and it shall come to pass. Like I said earlier, the road we are going to take would not be easy because the road to change is never is, but through bits by bits, line by line actions upon actions we can make it possible
The Nigerian youth who have determined to come out from his comfort zone to play a role and make an impact for this great Nigerian dream is the New Nigerian youth.
He is the change we have been waiting for
He is the government we desired
He is the leader we want
He is the one we have been waiting for
He is you.
You are the one. Nigeria does not need a crowd. She only needs you.
The potentials of Nigeria being the giant of Africa in deeds and not in words is in you
The potentials of Nigeria being the pride of the world is in you
The potentials of Nigeria being a great, prosperous and peaceful nation is in you
The potentials of Nigeria by 2035 being the most desirable nation to live in is in you
The potentials of the New Nigeria is in you
With you I can see hope
With you I can see brightness
With you I can see change
With you I can see the future
With the New Nigerian youth, Nigeria shall become a great, prosperous and peaceful nation.
With the new Nigeria youth, Nigeria would become the most desirable nation to live by 2035.
Become a New Nigerian Youth and contribute in Nation building either politically, socio-culturally, economically, information technology
Join the New Nigerian Youth Forum
I welcome you on board
Remain blessed.
Cornel Osigwe Jnr
Advocate
