African Youth: Charting A New Course

It is a truism that youths are the future of tomorrow; this
fact has overtime remained undisputed. From generation
to generation, the youth have proven to be an efficient
tool and an integral part of any (serious) nation.
The physical and intellectual dexterity they possess cannot
be overlooked. To buttress this, analysts say that the
productivity of a nation depends largely on its youth.
Here in Africa, it has been a case of mixed tales; the
luckless destiny of the youth seems fait accompli. While
counterparts in the developed world can boast of world-
class facilities in the areas of -but not limited to-
education, healthcare, sports, arts, information
technology, we curiously lag. As if not enough, our leaders
have shown little political will to turn around the abysmal
fortune. If you are reading this piece and hold a dissimilar
view concerning the youths of Africa as aforementioned, it
is either you have been in coma or lived all your life in the
Diaspora.
It was Napoleon Bonaparte who said “a leader is a dealer
in hope”. This obviously cannot be said about leaders in
this part of the world as most are not fit even as retailers
of hope. Their common myopia, rascality and sit-tight
syndrome are some of the scary idiosyncrasies which have
brought us all to this level of little cognizance by the
larger world. Not many will argue that ‘third world
countries’ as we are often regarded, live in anguish and in
some cases abject poverty in the midst of abundance.
Sadly, sizable erstwhile regimes in Africa failed in the
implementation of youth development-oriented
programmes that would have freed us off these ostensible
shackles we findourselves. While it appears graft, lack of
zeal, bigotry and disdain hampered successive
governments from vigorously carrying out quality ideas,
others simply had no clear-cut vision for their respective
countries.
But the enduring aspirations of the African youth have
always been to face up to their adverse circumstances
instead of waiting for a miracle to change the situation. Of
course they are notunaware that the needed solutions will
not just drop from high heavens on their laps without
their own initiative.
But the question is: Do they have the right and enabling
environment?
Indeed it is an ignominy that decades after gaining
independence from colonial masters, the continent at this
time and age is battling with common things like basic
infrastructures! Tilltoday, albeit human material and
natural blessings abound, many countries continually
record unappealing gross domestic product statistics even
as uncertainty pervades good standard of living;the battle
against malaria and other killer-diseases is yet won despite
massive grants/aids from donor countries and agencies;
inflation rate soar at will; access to equity, fairness and
justice still a daydream; alarming index of unemployment;
concept of self-dependence gradually erasing; evident
dismal performanceof undergraduates/graduates. Er, need
say more? It is pathetic that all pointers give cause for
worry. What manner of governments would not know that
a penurious youth foretells catastrophe!
The current predicaments seem helpless but it is not
hopeless. Our leaders can redeem their image (if they
find congenial) by displaying more purposefulness and
determination in the discharge of affairs of governance.
The first step that should be considered is the immediate
convocation of an African Union convention with special
and unflinching attention to the youth. A Charter must be
put in place where the rights of the Africanyouth must be
distinctly spelt out.
A follow up to this should be that all member-countries as
a matter of urgency include content of the charter in
theirconstitutions while individuals with impressive tracks
and impeccable character should be appointed to manage
ministries overseeing issues that affects youths.
Also, the recommendation by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
that 26 percent of countries’ annual budget be devoted to
education mustwithout further delay be implemented.
Ideally, such a declaration ought to be obeyed in view of
the fact that it seeks to improve quality formal education.
It is not only mind-boggling but dispiriting that majority of
the continent’s governments hasdisregarded the directive
with apparent contempt and flagrant impunity despite
being signatories. This is not unexpected since their wards
get the best education in western countries to the chagrin
of the citizenry and detriment of their nations at large.
The cankerworm that has eating too deep into the fabric
of our society, corruption, is worth and must be included
in the list of crimes against humanity. The reason is not
far-fetched. Stealingof public funds which is the norm
these days, amounts to denying millions of people whom
the looted monies are meant for, the right to a better
living.
Already, a pressure group in Nigeria, CEASE CORRUPTION
(CC) has initiated the move. It is imperative to send a
stern signal to people of crooked tactics that they cannot
eat their cake and have it. The world-body will do the
youth a great justice by seeing that this clarion call sees
light of the day. The time to halt the lawlessness and
executive brigandage of the elite and ruling class is now!
The youth can survive these trying times by ensuring
Bertrand Russell’s philosophy that “extreme hopes should
be the response to extreme misery.” They must do away
with social vices as this is capable of destroying whatever
good thing they stand to enjoy in the time ahead. They
have a duty to conduct themselves in a dignified modus at
all times and also show increased interest in leadership
positions.
Government should put more effort will be put into area
of youth development lest the supposed bright future
become austere. To be a force to reckon with, it will take
more than the usual earth-shaking prayers and ample
good luck wishes to better the lot and fortune of Africa.
What is expected of our leaders is a conscious but genuine
resolute to confront the present challenges headlong.
Perhaps if we get our acts right, African countries will in
the near future emerge as world powers.

Wale Odunsi
wodunsi@yahoo.com

#CONSENSUS 2015