Nigerian Youths: Time Bomb Waiting to Explode? II By Prof MK Othman

Nigerian Youths: Time Bomb Waiting to Explode? II
By
Prof MK Othman

Still, as parents, what can we do to prevent the bomb from detonating? What are the roles of the government in stopping this trend? These questions were raised in the first part of this piece. One elder statesman said that the bomb is being detonated; may Allah intervene to prevent the explosion. However, we all have moral responsibilities to help address these issues.
First, the children of the three categories of parents —those who overwork and overpamper their children, the hard-hearted, irresponsible parents, and the highly disciplined, do-not-spare-the-rod parents —all have to coexist as Nigerians. These young people have the responsibility to see themselves as the most important part of society and the nation. The future of the country depends directly on the prosperity of its youth. In 2024, the unemployment rate for young people (ages 15–24) was 8.4%. The number of unproductive adolescents is alarming and troubling, with 20 million children not in school, leaving them feeling discouraged, disillusioned, and hopeless. As a result, young people have been exposed to self-centered and malicious schemes by religious, tribal, regional, and corrupt political forces, which continue to promote conflict and division. Through their actions and inactions, this generation of elders and parents has broken the bonds that once united us, causing disintegration by destroying the future of our youth and the nation’s future. The youth are suffering as the country bleeds, while conscientious individuals helplessly mourn, and the indifferent enjoy their gains. What a tragedy for the nation. My message to the youth is that you must stand up and be counted among tomorrow’s leaders by rejecting illicit drugs, intoxicants, and all kinds of vices. At the same time, your guiding principles should be education, knowledge, skill acquisition, patience, and perseverance. Success comes through pain, hard work, and dedication, driven by careful planning, expertise, and innovation.
Second, as parents, we must recognize that parenthood is a spiritual contract divinely signed and sealed, a moral and societal duty for humanity. We must do our best to nurture our children from infancy to adolescence, with no room for failure. We cannot afford to fail, as it would lead to our destruction. We must not be irresponsible parents as described in the first part of this article, nor should we be parents who almost worship their children. Those who have no limits to the love they have for their children tend to over-pamper them and go the extra mile to “purchase” success for their children, instead of showing them that hard work, dedication, and discipline lead to success in life.
My message to the parents is that we discharge our moral responsibility and parental obligation, within societal constraints and abilities, to ensure that our children are taught proper lessons using the correct procedures. We must be keenly interested in what our children are doing at all times, who they are associating with, and how they spend their active and leisure time.
Their performance in school, social, and religious settings should be of great interest to us, as we reward them for good achievements and discipline them for the opposite. As we review their school report cards, we should not forget to collect their phones and monitor their interactions with peers through cell phones. Our knowledge of our children’s private lives should have no limits. We should ask questions, question them about inappropriate actions, and be prepared to teach them proper behavior and attitudes. Their good upbringing would not only be a credit to us but also fulfill our moral responsibilities and duties.
Third, national political leaders should recognize that human capital development is the most vital responsibility of the government for the nation. The development of human capital is essential for a country’s socio-economic and political transformation. Globally, it is widely accepted that human capital formation is the most influential factor behind the impressive performance of the economies of most developed and newly industrializing countries. Human capital formation in these countries involves a steady increase in knowledge, skills, and capabilities gained through education and training for all individuals. Improvements in two key sectors, health and education, focusing on youth, are necessary for human capital development. There is a strong link between investment in education and health sectors and productivity, which are crucial for a nation’s economic prosperity. What is the Nigerian scorecard in these two key sectors?
In 2001, the Heads of State of African Union countries met in Abuja in April and pledged to allocate at least 15 percent of their annual budgets to improve the health sector. The pledge was called the “Abuja Declaration.” Likewise, in the 2015 report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it was recommended that 15 to 20 percent of national budgets in developing countries, such as Nigeria, be dedicated to education. This was outlined in the 2015 report titled ‘Education for All 2000-2015: Achievements and Challenges.’ Over the past 25 years, Nigeria has never allocated more than 10% of its annual budget to either education or health. For example, the percentages of the Federal government’s annual budget allocated to education from 2017 to 2020 were 7.4%, 7.04%, 7.05%, and 6.7%, respectively. Similarly, the health sector received 3.95% and 4.52% of the budget in 2018 and 2020, respectively. The state government also made similar small allocations to these vital sectors.
From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that governments at both the Federal and State levels have woefully failed to improve the two key sectors for human capital development. While the government is the major player in the process of developing human capital, the entire citizenry has an equally critical role in fast-tracking and facilitating positive change, making a large population a virtue rather than a curse. Today, China is the world’s second most populous country after India, yet it boasts the most vibrant and dominant economy. Therefore, a high population can be a significant asset to the nation in terms of human capital development.
Finally, we—the youth, parents, and government leaders—must wake up to prevent the ticking time bomb that could destroy us all by taking the necessary steps outlined in this piece. There’s no doubt that governments, parents, teachers, and the environment play crucial roles in shaping the youth and influencing their future. Parents must take their God-given responsibilities of good parenting very seriously. The government should invest in human capital to secure the country’s future. Our youth have the potential to become great leaders if given the right environment, skills, and proper guidance. If Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu became the leader of the failed Biafran dream at age 33; if Murtala Mohammed became Nigeria’s Military Head of State in 1975 at age 37; if T.Y Danjuma became the Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria at age 38; and if Emmanuel Macron became the president of France at age 40; then, Nigerian youth can surely succeed with proper support. May God guide us to success, amen.