2023: Consequences of Age, What Nigerian Young People Must Know
By Auwal Gombe
The acts, inactions, and reactions of the aging political drivers of this country in policymaking and implementation unquestionably show a system that is under siege in the current reality of politics in Nigeria.
In contrast to the post-colonial era, when nationalists agitated and won independence from Britain, the current crop of leaders in this country’s economy represents a paradigm shift. In Nigerian politics today, the opposite is true Because the current government in Nigeria is run by gerontocrats who have continued to marginalise the youth, the adage “The Youths are the leaders of tomorrow” runs counter to the leadership monopoly practiced by elderly Nigerian kleptocrats because the Nigerian government of present is led by gerontocrats who have continued to sideline the youth in the political and economic climate of Nigeria. Leadership is portrayed as the right of the elderly in Nigeria irrespective of societal changes since independence.
The Gerontocrats in present-day Nigeria have made participation and representation unattainable and inaccessible to Nigerian youth with policies that alienate them.
Taking a survey of youth representation in politics, the political leaders in present-day Nigeria are above 50 years of age.
About 80 percent of the population of our political leaders are not youth because these same sets of political leaders are recycled.
For instance, General Muhammadu Buhari’s first regime as a leader of Nigeria, although military, was in his prime in 1983. It is a shocking reality that 32 years later, the same Buhari is in power as the president in a democratic system.
Now, the question “Is the youth of Nigeria under siege?” Wisdom, they posit, comes with age; but has this wisdom been transferred into Nigerian political and economic policies? Age should be an insignificant factor in the process of administration. However, the current realities show the problem of Nigeria is related to age as it limits or boosts the productivity rate of our leaders. Characteristics of leadership are experience, knowledge and legitimacy for the growth and development of the nation. Early leaders in the post-independence era were not aged, but youth driven by patriotism in their agitation for good governance.
The current leadership has eroded youthful participation and representation in modern-day politics with financial hindrance to contesting elections. The cost of elections is very exorbitant because of the money politics practised by Nigerian politicians.
The financial ability to run for an election has made the opportunity to hold political offices a mirage. Injustice and maladministration have permeated society; thus, the youth are described as “all bark but no bite”.
Many Nigerian youths harnessed and amplify their voices through social media to demand good governance from these leaders of an older generation. The country riddled with insecurities, poverty, economic degeneration and political instability is one of the many reasons Nigerian youths must wake up to take over the nation’s administration in the forthcoming elections. The development of Nigeria is in the hands of the young and active.
Nigeria’s leadership needs the young and energetic to catalyse development processes.
The country’s economy has been left in the hands of political hyenas and piranhas in the guise of old and supposedly witty leaders who are bent on killing the economy with obnoxious policies.
If this is not the case, how do you explain the exponential increase of dollars at the expense of naira?
How do you justify uncontrolled and incessant killing and kidnapping rampant in the nation; what is the rationale for the increased level of insecurities and brutality citizens suffer under the governance of this administration?
The political outlook of Nigeria under this administration is tarnished, and the need for a facelift by people who have the tendencies to redeem Nigeria’s image internationally is the youth who have been sidelined in the affairs of leadership.
This deplorable situation is a wake-up call from oblivion for Nigerian youth to harness their population to demand change with and inclusion of young innovative minds in the nation’s political system.
The Nigerian youth population must present themselves as a force to reckon with in the 2023 election by their political activism by raising candidates with people-driven representation and uncompromised prospects for good governance.
This political overhaul of gerontocrats will not be without resistance or barriers ranging from suppression to finance; however, the youth-led representation must be resilient in demanding a change of government with their vote and active participation in the 2023 elections.
Auwal Gombe, is a good governance advocate and development crusader. He can be reached on auwalgombe11@gmail.com
