FANNING
THE EMBERS OF NATIONAL CHANGE
Introduction
When considering what it
takes to be young in a rapidly globalizing society and in modern technological
age, one may be apt to encapsulate youth experienced world within the
mainstream adult world. The tendency to do this may likely engender the missing
out of the uniqueness of the youth world. McRobbie (1993) once observes that
the youth represents a major symbolic investment for society and ultimately,
the richness of young people experience must be explored to deeply appreciate
their lived world. Understanding youth lived world in modern age, rest
fundamentally on knowing the plight of young people in this increasingly
unpredictable society. Imperatively, current sociological discourse globally
must consider those socio-economic processes and developments that affect both
young people and adults in order to arrive at the reflexive youthfulness of the
late modernity (Giddens, 1991). The flow from this is the fact that human
society is dynamic so likewise the lived experience of the youth. This is
better explained from the position of Layder (1994) when he states that society
is inseparable from its human components because the very existence of any
society rest fundamentally on the activities and lived experiences of its
agents. Youth situation in all ages is not isolated from the dynamics of the
social structure which not only create or give it representation but that which
determines the life processes of the agency.
With the wind of
transformation sweeping across various landscapes, youth are continually
affected by all forms of developments in all communities. Youth in this context
must be seen as both drivers and victims of change. Just as Miles (2000) opines
that young people are barometer of social change, Wallace and Jones (1992)
equally observes that young people’s world can be explored from an index of
social ills.
Conceptualizing Youth
Youth is understood as
youthfulness—as an abstract construct of such characteristics as the quality of
being young and evincing peculiar trait subject to social evaluation
(Kloskowska, 1988). Importantly, youth has long been contentious designation
with most emphases in sociology on generationalism, ageism and specificity
(Wulff, 1995). As defining age category, “youth” is often regarded as a state
of becoming, as necessary partway to adulthood. The age category of youth can
extend from thirteen to twenty-five years especially in the western world
(Mallan and Pearce, 2003) but mostly extended to late thirties in African
society due to delayed transitional phase from youth to adulthood. Age
classification of youth is often done for institutional and policy purposes.
Another defining characteristic of youth is done in relation to models of
behavior. Across several disciplines there is growth in the tendency to view youth
as out of control and as a threat to both society and themselves. Viewed from
the context of moral panic, youth have often been read as dangerous from media
representation and become an object of spectacle and desire for mass audience
(Oswell, 1998; Giroux, 1997).
According to Kenniston
(1971:27), youth refers to a period between adolescence and adulthood in a
post-modern era. He emphasized that it is a new stage of life which millions of
young people enter today. But as Johnson (cited in Abhuere, 2000:85) argued,
while leadership of youth programmes has no upper age limit, their membership
has in practice covered people of over 35-45 years old. Irrespective of the
diverse dimensions youth have been conceptualized Berger (1972:42) insists that
youth cuts across age, pointing to culture as what really matters. According to
him, any one who feels youthful, and exhibits such qualities as spontaneity,
impulsiveness, energy, etc. is a youth.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT
The future of every country,
it is argued, depends on the quality of human resources, of which
youth forms a very important section (Rashidi, 1971). The youth is
generally believed to constitutes over half of the work population of any
country (CYP, quoted by Abhuere, 2000). This may explain the wisdom of
developing them. Even though, human capital theory has been severely criticized
by some scholars for its historical and empirical shortcomings, nonetheless
it has tremendously influenced the formulation of educational policy,
including youth programmes in non-industrialised countries (Abhuere, 2000).
While for instance, youth policy and programmes seek to produce skilled and
productive workers, especially through training, they also aim at having
dedicated and qualitative leadership through the effective mobilisation, for
service of the already well-qualified youths. A combination of these factors is
expected to promote overall national goals of development. Here, education
(human investment) is expected to do the magic. Hence, these countries often
organise youth at two levels: one for the less fortunate youth and another for
the elite youths. The final aim is to channel their energies for national
development. It is therefore right to say that neglect of youths in the
Nigeria’s development plans has been one of the sources of youth violence in
the country.
Since the youths are the
future leaders, special efforts should be made to encourage and promote
activities that are of interest to the young people in a way to promote
tolerance, trust and cosmopolitanism among them. These call for the
strengthening of cross religious and ethnic institutions for youth development
programmes such as the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) as well as sporting
competitions. This apart, since the youths constitute the bulk of ethnic
militias, recruitment into their rank have been facilitated by inability of the
government to articulate coherent policies and programmes that are imperative
for the development and maximum utilization of the youths in the society
(Akinboye, 2001:179). This has led to widespread disillusionment and
frustration, which has culminated in the sustainability of the ethnic militias
in the country. This situation calls for the creation of employment
opportunities for the youth if the government is truly interested in finding a
lasting solution to a situation whereby youths have become ready tools in the
hands of those perpetrators of communal feuds.
Youth empowerment and
development is very helpful not only to the youth of a particular country but
to the entire nation in totality. Youth empowerment is the means through which
the young people are encouraged by the individuals or government using any good
means. The “good means” here can be financially, skilfully, morally or any
other ways. The Nigerian National Youth policy (2001:2), defines youth as
comprising all young persons between the ages 18 and 35 years who are citizens
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. According to the world English dictionary,
development is the act or the process of growing, progressing, or developing.
Youth empowerment is important.
Many have succeeded in life
because of youth empowerment and development. Honestly, youth empowerment and
development drive is the suitable solution that nations need to secure the
future success of their countries. ''Nations" are not the empty land
people live; it is the people that live inside the countries.
Many nations are not able to
pilot their affairs today because the youths were not empowered. The youth you
see today are the elders or adults of tomorrow. Mexico is not doing badly. In
fact, with war over drug war-lords almost won, the country can turn the
attention of its youth population to education, entrepreneurship and intention,
as is obtainable in neighboring U.S. The attentions of this country to empower
her youths, which they have already start doing is to be emulated.
Strategies for Youth Empowerment
Youths are believed to be
the reservoir of the nation‟s strength, leadership and productivity. Hence,
youth empowerment will in no small measure re-channel their energies towards
worthwhile and productive activities needed for self and national development.
In this wise, the following strategies can be employed to empower youths for
increased performance and productivity.
School Curriculum Reform
Entrepreneurship education
should be made compulsory in schools at all levels. This will inculcate in
students from an early age, the qualities required of them to take up positions
of responsibility. Schools, especially universities should provide their
students with the fundamental tools to succeed academically and in life. It is
high time more attention is paid to the problem of mismatch between teaching in
our educational institutions and the needs of the labour market which usually
create unemployment among the youths. To this end, school curriculum should be
updated and restructured to meet the demands of the economy. New curricular and
teaching methods should be introduced that will engage the students and build a
closer connection between school and work. The curriculum should be taught by
teachers who engage their students in the discovery and development of their
entrepreneur talents. The curriculum should be certified to meet national
testing standards, content rich and well organized. Moreover, more
opportunities should be given to students to acquire practical experience in
the use of machinery, equipment and tools in their chosen career. More qualified teachers should be available
to teach vocational, innovative entrepreneurship and job skills. Teaching
resources and models should be developed to ensure students centered learning
and teachers should be adequately prepared to administer lessons on entrepreneurship
and innovation.
Developing Entrepreneurship Culture
Promoting entrepreneurship
among youths requires going beyond the school curricula to engage and empower
youths. A strong entrepreneurship culture should be built in the youth. This
should be done through non-governmental organizations, community based
organizations and institutions like the family, churches and uniform groups.
They should openly support the agenda of to wealth creation, innovation and
entrepreneurship “code ethic” in a more sustainable way to provide that basis
upon which a new paradigm can be created. This would complement the state
agenda, which is create a conducive environment where entrepreneurship can
thrive. Therefore all sectors of our society must participate in promoting entrepreneurship
and entrepreneurship education, especially to our youth.
Improving Technical and Vocational Education
The government should
refocus its attention on technical and vocation as a sustainable means for
improving entrepreneurship education, self employment and youth empowerment.
This should be in terms of improved facilities and making the curriculum to
reflect the current needs. The curriculum should promote a culture of
enterprise and entrepreneurship as a viable career option, inspire and equip
young people in the local community to learn and succeed through enterprise,
stimulate entrepreneurship thinking amongst young people, enhance leadership
skills and increase community awareness as well as enhance the educational
experience of future leaders. If these are accomplished it will reduce the
apathy towards technical education by youths and thus initiate youths into the
culture of self reliance.
The Role of Government
The government should
facilitate entrepreneurship in a non-interventionist way. A smooth running
market economy is the best way to encourage entrepreneurship, rather than
direct support. Government should provide business friendly infrastructure by
providing a framework of enforceable competition law that discourage monopolies
and unfair competition as well as by
intellectual property rights that protect a firm‟s valuable Scholarly
but often intangible, knowledge assets. Government policies and other national
business environment factors could be marshaled to influence the rates and
types of entrepreneurship. Government should create an enabling environment
that reduces the barriers to market entry. This can be possible by integrating
entrepreneurship into the country‟s economic development efforts. They should
also invest in diverse sources of risk capital to fund entrepreneurs but also
to provide the fiscal incentive for investors to provide funding.
The Role of Higher Institutions
Higher institutions should
partner with government in developing the required strategy for fostering
entrepreneurship both at the individual and the firm level. They can originate
the content and set the tone for developing the policy and institutional
framework for entrepreneurship. They should promote entrepreneurship among other
disciplines beside science and engineering. They are to raise awareness by
teaching and nurturing students about entrepreneurs and their individual
experiences, equip students with necessary skills and knowledge to start a
successful business. Higher institution should also promote innovation by
supporting academic and research activities wherein business and institutions
of learning can partner to nurture innovation and entrepreneurship.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
Technology has the
capability of enhancing quality of life and economic performance. When youths
do not have the knowledge or skills to use the latest technology, it affects
their outlook of life. The internet and other Information and Communications
Technology (ICT) infrastructure are not available in rural area where the
majority of the Nigeria youth reside. This solution denies them an alternative
means of skill acquisition, information access and other advantages. The
government should be aggressive in providing ICT education at all levels of
education while out of school training should be given to the dropouts. There
should be adequate funding of education; every school teacher must be computer
literate; ICT education should be integrated into the curricula of all levels
of education and implementation. Through this, the youths will be ICT literate
and will be integrated into the global village and explore the various
opportunities offered by ICT.
Micro Enterprise Development
Micro enterprises create
jobs in a community; they provide for financial stability of individuals and
neighborhoods and also help in restoring and building communities through a
philosophy of self-help. They can help in alleviating poverty, and increasing
economic self sufficiency. The participants in micro enterprise development
programme will become self employed and remain self employed, experience
significant asset accumulation and decreases in welfare assistance received,
and create secondary employment opportunities.
Creation of State Entrepreneurship
Education Innovation Fund Creativity and innovation on the part of Educators
and other partners are vital way of empowerment. The state governments should
create small pools of funding to help stimulate such innovation. These funds
could be managed by a state advocate or advisory council, or by a state
department of Education. The fund would provide small seeds grants to support
development of new Entrepreneurship Education models that would help advance
the field. The fund could operate as a demonstration grant program or as an
annual competition.
Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Youth Entrepreneur of the
year award program could also be organized as an encouragement to get young
people excited about entrepreneurial careers. This could be organized by the
government to encourage entrepreneurial skills. Awards are an effective
marketing tool to raise interest, educate young people about the benefits of
starting and running their own business. They also provide a platform where
successful young entrepreneurs are show cased and become role models for other
young people to emulate and thus contribute towards an interest for young
people to get involved in business. The awards can consequently contribute
towards the growth of youth owned enterprise and contribute towards the social
upliftment of society. Thus competition could be at the National, State and
local government level. Teams of business people national and state leaders
should be made to attend the events and patents could be facilitated for the
best products. This could be a great challenge to others.
Institutionalize National
Entrepreneurship Week and global Entrepreneurship Week
Micro enterprise development
is a way of empowerment. Policy matters should support national and global
entrepreneurship week (February 21-28, 2009) and Global Entrepreneurship Week
(November 17-23, 2008). This will help to expand entrepreneurship education
everywhere and prepare business leaders of the future. During the week, the
youth could be engaged in workshops competitions and other programmes that are
designed to encourage them embrace invention, innovation, creativity and
imagination. These celebrations will also allow students and parents to see
entrepreneurship as career option for becoming self sufficient.
Supportive Community Environment
The communities should be
encouraged to work in partnership with the school as a “learning Laboratory” in
which students can practice the knowledge that they are gaining from the
classroom. This may involve apprenticeships, selling products at school events,
interviewing local entrepreneurs or doing a community service project. The
local experts can be utilized to work with young entrepreneurs. This will make
entrepreneurship „real‟ for students and it is also a lot of fun for adults. In
addition to these roles, community leaders taking an interest in young
entrepreneurs can change attitudes among young people about the community and
their future. Building relationships with students who want to get involved in the
community supporting their efforts, and celebrating their community and
entrepreneurial projects can help them develop into productive citizens and
also make their community more attractive to young people as a place to stay or
return. This may on the long run help to reduce the rural-urban drift.
How Can Nations Future prosperity be Secured through Youth
Empowerment?
There must be existence of
peace for any country to flourish. There are many crises in some countries
today because the youths were not empowered. A notable example is an African
country called Nigeria. Many Nigerian youths are not empowered through
employment. This is the major cause of insecurity in Nigeria. When jobs are
created for them, there will be peace and the life of the citizens spared. The
Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, on Wednesday, April 24,
2013, identified insecurity in the country, high unemployment rate as well as
improper orientation of the youth as major threats to development in the
country.
Some lives are no longer
protected in many countries because the youths lack moral empowerment. When a
youth is empowered morally, I do not think he will have the time to carry bombs
from place to place searching for any group to damage. With moral youth empowerment,
the lives of the citizens will prosper. Again, many lives that would bring
change to nations were removed because the youths lack morals empowerment. The
removed unborn babies who would have bring positive changes in medical,
technological, and even educations sector were terminated, because the lady
carrying the baby was not empowered morally on the danger of “rough play”,
which can result to stomach enlargement. If the culture of unborn termination
continues, who will form the next generation?
Through financial youth
empowerment, the economy of nations will prosper. The youths can go into
massive production. The country will realize good amount of money per year.
This will make the government to make a better budget. From this, the masses
will enjoy a better life because there will be more cash flow. The youth will
buy and sell to the costumers. More jobs will be created for the citizens.
Youth empowerment means a lot more than two words, and is a core requirement
for the sustainability of any level of economic development reached.
Power supply is a big
challenge to many nations, especially in Africa. These countries are still
under ‘coma’ because of this challenge. Speaking in Abuja, President of Trade
Union of Nigeria (TUC), Comrade Peter Esele, said “The power sector has
continued to be a source of worry to all of us despite reforms, yet the
importance of electricity to employment and development cannot be
over-emphasized”. The problem of power supply (generation of electrical power)
is the reason many Africa nations still answer “developing nations” every year,
because power is needed in education, industrial, banking, agricultural and in
many other departments of every nation.
The youth has answer to this
if they are well empowered. The question is how? Well trained youth on skills
acquisition concerning power generation can have positive answer on how to
address it. Again, those who feel like a million dollars (comfortable) due to
financial support issued to them when they were youths can change the face of
power sector. They can sponsor and resolve this situation through their
financial assistance. When this is put in place, the industrial development and
any aspect that makes use of power will be promoted.
There are many possible
solutions which some creative youths can proffer in the power sector. Some have
ideas on how to use solar energy or biogas to generate power supply. The
setback is that they lack empowerment from individuals and governments. Through
the power generated, there will be many improvements in many areas of the
citizens’ lives. Take for example, this essay will be successfully written
because there is power to keep my computer on. Many have in mind to be article
writers, but due to power failure, they are unable to make it.
Some youth doctors play with
the lives of their patients because they lack moral youth empowerment before
they became doctors. They were not well empowered during their studies with
proper facilities. This results to mishandling of lives of many citizens. If
they were empowered, they will be very careful in handling lives of patients,
thereby prospering their lives from death.
Competent leaders can be
obtained in this country through youth empowerment. It is often said that
youths are the leaders of tomorrow, but even leadership in itself is an art to
be learned, a skill to be acquired, for effective leadership does not come by
saying it, but by applying tested, laid-down principles. The leader will be
able to transform the country through his leadership. The people will succeed
with their leadership because the environment is made conducive. People mess up
in leadership positions because they were not empowered when they were young.
Poverty is the bane of many
people's life in this country. The UN human Poverty Index in 1999 which
credited Nigeria with 41.6 percent captured the phenomenon more succinctly as
the figure placed the nation as among the 25 poorest nations in the world.
Through youth empowerment and development, poverty will be eradicated. For the
poverty in the rural area, youths when empowered agriculturally can employ the
poor in their farms. The socks of many poor ones can be pulled up through this
means. Again, through their works, the nation will have more to feed her
citizens.
Child abuse is rampant in
some countries because of lack of youth empowerment. This has been discussed in
conferences, seminars and senate meetings on how to combat this challenge.
Notwithstanding that the senators pretend to be working on how to put a stop to
this, they are the promoters of child abuse. I typical example is that senator
Yerima of Nigeria who wants to take underage Egyptian girl into marriage.
Nigerian civil society and gender rights activists petitioned to the Senate
calling for action against Yerima over his marriage to the 13 year old Egyptian
girl.
The youth when empowered on
the negative effects of this shameful act can protest against it. When given
appropriate support, they can form a group that will seriously say no to child
abuse. They will resist to this act because they were once of that age. You can
trust what the youths can do, they like taking the bull by its horns. When this
is settled, the future of the young will be assured.
Environmental is what many
nations are facing. Hardly can you enter any state in some nations and do not
see heaps of waste materials. An Environmental Right Organization based in Aba,
Nigeria, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development
(FENRAD) has described Aba, the commercial nerve city of Abia State as the
dirtiest city across the country. This eyesore has negative effects on the
health of the citizens. But, through youth empowerment and development drive,
the health standard of nations and good environmental status is attainable.
Some youths when empowered on waste recycling process can help put the
environment in a good position. When the recycling effort is sustained in
nations with untidy environment, health and the environment will improve.
Many pipelines of crude oil
companies have been vandalized in many crude oil producing nations. Some of the
vandals engage in this act because the government and capable hands do not
assist them to succeed in life. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,
NNPC, has provided graphic details of how the activities of pipeline vandals
have complicated the free flow of petroleum products and crude supply in its
pipeline system leading to a colossal cost of over ₦174.57 billion
(approximately $27756.63 billion) in product losses and repairs of products pipelines
within the last 10 years. Many youths are among these vandals. When youth
empowerment programs and development are embraced in this nation, these acts of
pipeline vandalism will become a history. The country will then be protected
and will as well prosper because the government will make more money which they
will use in the development of the country.
Moral youth empowerment and
development can help nations succeed by reducing cyber crime among the youths.
The youths of many nations are now gaining ground on cyber threats. They hack
into the computers of many and steal vital information to enrich themselves.
These victims now become poor overnight. Some of these hackers go to the extent
of emptying the bank accounts of the victims. What do you think is the cause of
this bad act? The answer is lack of moral and financial youth empowerment.
Beyond that, it cannot be denied that our youths have taken undue advantage of
the Internet to get involved in cyber crime, using it to commit fraud and
threaten public security.
Many lives have been lost
because the youth earned their money through cut corners by selling fake drugs
to the masses. If they were given appropriate moral empowerment, they would
have prospered instead of putting a stop to their existence. Another thing is
that they were not supported to go to school. This made them to be ignorant of
what fake drugs can do in the human body. When many die daily from fake drugs,
how many will be left in the future? Through youth empowerment and development,
the young can protest against drug abuse. The impact of drug abuse among
Nigerian youth has been a stigma of a morally bankrupt, decadent and wasted
generation that must be revitalized and collectively salvaged together in order
to prevent the total degeneration and loss of our societal values and ideals.
Some female youths of
nations are painting the image of their countries black from their indecent
dressing because they lack moral support. They go around the streets displaying
the parts of their body which are not meant to be seen as if they will die if
they fail to do so. Most irritating is the prevailing trend among our youths
who expose themselves, clad in dresses that reveal the essentials: backs, hips
and other parts as quoted by a Nigerian government officer.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMENDATIONS
The need to engage a
comprehensive strategy for poverty alleviation and youth economic empowerment
remain the major solution germane to youth problems in Nigeria. History has
shown that major government alleviation and development programmes often
neglect the youths. Apart from the fact that significant economic programmes
embarked upon by Nigeria’s government portends anti-youth posture, this group
access to facilities of empowerment are inhibited by sectionalism, corruption,
bottle necks and several other obstacles instituted at either micro or macro
levels of implementation. It is however suggested that impact evaluation
strategy should complement government initiative in ameliorating youths plight.
The role of civil society and general public in the planning and execution of
youth related programmes will invariably reduce youth vulnerability to amoral
activities. National rebirth is also crucial to solving youth problems. Within
the government environment, transparency, accountability, responsiveness, and
commitment to social welfare should become the norm and thus translated into
values underpinning youth aspirations.
The engagement of youth in
community driven development also constitute one important area youth problems
can be addressed in Nigeria. Strengthening and financing local initiatives such
as entrepreneurial development efforts, micro-finance loans, and other advances
will go a long way in reducing the current level of unemployment and poverty
prevalent among the youth. Youth energy should be re-directed towards
positive productive efforts and must be made result driven. The need to revisit
the deteriorating energy base of Nigeria hitherto disenabling the exhibition of
youth potentials and the provision of quality basic services constitute another
important area that will generate sporadic response and ginger economic spirit
among the affected group. Finally the state should function to reduce youth
physical and economic shocks and help youth overcome their victimization caused
by economic battering, neglect and institutional deprivation which often
occasion diverse recourse into anti-social behaviours.
Moreover, the youths can
only play the laudable roles of national development if they are empowered
through entrepreneurship education. Through well planned and executed
entrepreneurship education, the Nigerian youths well learn to be happy and
fulfilled persons. They will be productive and committed as employees or
employers of labour. They will allow their unique abilities to be used for the
development of the national and global goal.
As a result of the
discussions above, it is thereby recommended that: 1. Youth economic
empowerment should be aligned to government policies, strategies and programmes.
2. Financial support, training and facilities need to be provided in order to
ensure the youth active participation. 3. The spirit of entrepreneurship among
Nigerian youths should be promoted through seminars and workshops on corporate
leadership and entrepreneurship 4. The higher institutions should focus on
curriculum that is aimed at a growing job market and expanding the production
of qualified professionals most required by industries. 5. Pedagogy and
facilities must be upgraded to deliver the quality education and training
necessary to prepare youth properly for the entrepreneurial education
experience. 6. Youths must be ready to imbibe the entrepreneurship culture at
school and when they are out of school as a possible remedy for unemployment.
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