By JESSE IMERHION
Nigeria no doubt, is the largest black nation on earth with all the political goodwill and privileges, which such a historically significant status can muster. More specifically, Nigeria is abundantly blessed with human and natural resources that made her to be acclaimed the giant of Africa. However, this giant of a developing nation has refused to develop and claim her rightful place in the comity of nations. It is becoming increasingly clear that at the root of her stunted growth, social and economic misery is a serial failure of leadership, which has regimented her citizens psyche and stunted their creativity thereby creating a yawning gap between her abundant intellectual resources and colossal natural resources. And at the heart of her intellectual resources is the youth – my constituency, which amounts to about 70% of her population. It is an open secret that the present administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari, (GCFR), rode on the back of the youth to clinch the seat of power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). However, it is so disappointing that the youths have been neglected thus far in the scheme of things vis-à-vis the composition of the governing structure of the present administration.
It is on record that Ahmadu Bello(36), Obafemi Awolowo(37), Akintola(36), Tafawa Belewa(34), Festus Okotie-Eboh(27) and Anthony Enahoro(27) led the struggle for independence after the death of Herbert Macaulay while Nnamdi Azikiwe was 42 years old at the time.
It is also on record that the likes of Muhammadu Buhari(24), Olusegun Obasanjo(29), Odimegwu Ojukwu(33), Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua(23), Sani Abacha(23), Ibrahim Babangida(25), Theophilus Danjuma(28), Murtala Muhammed(28), rose to prominenc and occupied leadership positions in their youthful days.
Much as I strongly believe that political power is not given freely, I also strongly believe that there are upwardly mobile, vibrant, energetic and intelligent Nigerians all over country who are very capable and qualified to occupy leadership positions at all levels of governance and will definitely perform creditably well if given the opportunity to serve in any capacity. They have been able to distinguish themselves in their chosen fields. It is glaring that we the youth of today are being marginalized in a country where we populate the intellectual as well as the technological strength of the nation.
Below are some young outstanding Nigerians who are doing very well in their chosen fields and can be given opportunities to prove themselves in the governing structure of the nation at any level. The Google and other platforms can provide more information about them.
Ismaeel Ahmed
This young Barrister is the founder and national chairman of the All Progressives Congress Youth Forum. He successfully mobilized the youth to support and vote in President Muhammadu Buhari. He holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Abuja, and was called to Bar at the Abuja campus of the Nigerian Law school. He also holds a Masters degree in Law from the University of Chicago and Masters in International Relations from the prestigious Webster University, St. Louis Missouri, in the United States.
Linus Okorie
He is a public speaker, leadership consultant and the president of Guardians of the Nation International,(GOTNI), a non-governmental Organization that has been in the forefront of raising leaders under forty years. He has a regular leadership clinic on AIT where he speaks daily to empower Nigerians to become better leaders.
Japhet Omojuwa
He is an international public speaker, public affairs commentator and social media expert. He has featured prominently on a number of journals both in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. He is a lecturer at the Free University Berlin, Germany.
Chude Jideonwo
He is a lawyer, journalist, media entrepreneur. He is the brain behind the Future Project, an idea committed to celebrating leadership and entrepreneur amongst Nigerian and African youths. He is a co-founder of Red Media Africa.
Obe Razaq
He is a young, vibrant engineer and a one time student union leader. He has distinguished himself as a young technocrat while working in Globacom, Nigeria Gas Company and Exxon Mobile.
Malcolm Onajite Tagbarha
He is an international award winning speaker, writer and author who has honoured international speaking engagements in Europe and America to inspire Nigerians in the Diaspora to come back home to develop Nigeria. Malcolm is a social entrepreneur and Chief Executive Officer of Inspired Vision Worldwide Limited, a human and national development Organisation based in Abuja. He is fondly called ‘Mr Nigeria’ because of his passion and patriotic zeal towards the development of Nigeria. He was a personal assistant to two members of the Federal House of Representatives of the fifth and sixth Republic.
Uche Igwe
He is a writer and political analyst. He is a graduate of the University of Ibadan with a Masters in Governance and Development in Crowfield University. He was a Chevening fellow at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, Africa Policy scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for SCHOLARS AND A VISITING SCHOLAR AT THE African Studies programme of John Hopkins University
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