Danladi Bako to Nigerian youths: Deploy your energy for national development

Danladi Bako, former director-general (DG) of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), says youths in the country should deploy their energy towards national development.

Bako spoke on Tuesday at a symposium organised by the faculty of arts alumni of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna.

He said the role of the youth in the development or disintegration of any country is intertwined and intrinsically enmeshed in the cultural, sociological, and political disposition of the youth.

Bako added that stakeholders must use cultural platforms and the supervision and engagement of household heads and family leaders to ensure the right values are instilled in the youths as a matter of urgency.

He said the academic curriculum of basic education institutions must also teach “improved value lifestyles” to help “develop a renewed identity and culture.”.

“Major stakeholders in society, as traditional rulers, cannot fold their arms while embarking on brigandage and societal dislodgement; therefore, the supervision and engagement of household heads and family leaders, as well as extended families, must wake up and utilize traditional cultural platforms such as town hall meetings and age-grade opportunities to re-orientate the youths as a matter of urgency,” Bako said.

“There must be intentional advocacy for improved value lifestyles within the academic curriculum of our primary and secondary schools so as to develop a renewed identity and culture.”

The former NBC boss urged Nigerian youth to work for the nation’s development because “they will all grow old one day, and all those that destroyed society will eventually live their lives in a destroyed country to secure their own old age.

“Nigerian youths must utilise their energies and deploy them to the national development of this great country,” Bako said.

“After all, they will all grow old one day, and all those who destroyed society will eventually live their lives in a destroyed country.

“Those who build this country will enjoy their old age in a developed, likeable, enjoyable, and prosperous country in their old age.”