The Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Mr. Peter Obi has enjoined Nigerian leaders to prioritise investment in youths as a crucial step towards achieving national development.
Mr. Obi gave the charge on Monday in celebration of 2024 International Youth Day themed “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development”.
The United Nations’ (UN) statement on this year’s theme partly reads: “Digitalization is transforming our world, offering unprecedented opportunities to accelerate sustainable development. Digital technologies such as mobile devices, services, and artificial intelligence are instrumental in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Data generated from digital interactions supports evidence-based decision-making. With profound impact across economic, social and environmental dimensions, digital technologies and data contribute to at least 70 per cent of the 169 SDG targets while potentially reducing the cost of achieving these goals by up to USD 55 trillion.
“Young people are leading the charge in digital adoption and innovation, with three-quarters of those aged 15 to 24 using the internet in 2022, a rate higher than other age groups.”
Meanwhile, Obi emphasised the significance of youths to national development, noting that their future must be at the forefront of Nigeria’s growth and progress.
He said: “As the global community commemorates International Youth Day today, I add my voice in reminding us, the leaders, that youths remain the bedrock of the development of any country. Therefore, their future must be prioritized and placed in the front row of our development agenda.
“For a predominantly youthful nation, investing in our youths remains critical to overcoming many of the societal challenges we face today in trying to position the nation on the path of true development.
“Most of the raging issues like insecurity, banditry, violent agitations, and uprisings in many parts of the country are obvious results of youth neglect over the years. Thankfully, Nigeria is gifted with highly talented and very creative youths who are naturally hardworking and ready to make positive impacts in the nation and on the global stage.
“I have consistently maintained that we must empower the youth through investment in the critical areas of development: education, healthcare, and pulling them out of poverty. Such critical investments in our youths will engender a wave of positive transformation and youth productivity which is needed to move the nation forward. Sadly, widespread corruption, lack of committed leadership, poor governance, lack of accountability, and self-aggrandizement on our part as leaders have continued to deny our youths the many opportunities for progress and success.
“While youth unemployment has continued to rise in Nigeria, there is yet no marked improvement in the education and skill equipment of our youths.”
The former Anambra State Governor stated that the average secondary school enrolment in Nigeria remains low at 28%, while the global average is 80%.
He added: “Our average tertiary school enrolment remains low at 15%, while the global average is 55%. This does not indicate a nation that cares for the future of its youthful population.
“We, as leaders, must now stop feasting while our hardworking youths are fasting. We must now rethink our actions and prioritize the future of our youths for the sake of our nation.”
Obi encouraged the youths to sustain their hope in Nigeria and remain committed to national development.
He reiterated the challenges in Nigeria, however, he urged the youths to keep pushing, maintaining that “the task of building a New Nigeria remains our collective responsibility.”
