President Buhari and youth inclusion

Your Excellency, permit me to start this letter with this pertinent quote: “The future socio-economic and political advancement of any nation in the world is largely dependent on the quality of its youth.” This statement by the respected former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Anan, captures the fundamental thinking behind this letter.

Before going further, let me use this opportunity, Mr. President, to formally congratulate you on your victory at the March 28 polls. Your emergence as the President is a narrative of your resilience and unwavering belief that Nigeria must work, and also, your enthusiasm to place us back in the comity of nations where the colours of our flag and the green passport will be respected again. It is important, however, to note that your second coming as civilian President would not have been possible without the zeal, energy, determination and the commitment of the youth who spent days on the social media and in the field trying to sell your candidacy to the Nigerian public. I do not think the social media has in the recent past seen that level of traffic The campaign by the youth in ensuring the votes counted is exemplary.

Mr. President, you may kindly wish to recall that the youth of this great country have been at the forefront of every struggle since the colonial era. All the protagonists for the emancipation of Nigeria from colonial rule were young people in their twenties and thirties. For emphasis, I will mention a few heroes whose struggle led to our independence. In no particular order, I will salute these gallant men and women namely Herbart Macaulay, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Anthony Enahoro, Ahmadu Bello, Ladi Kwali, Funmilayo Ransome Kuti, Festus Okotie-Eboh, and Aminu Kano. Another hero is the foremost federalist himself, Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo, who in his book Path to Nigerian Freedom (1947) proposed the first systematic federalist manifesto by a Nigerian politician. He advocated federalism as the only basis for equitable national integration and as head of the Action Group, he led demand for a federal constitution, which was introduced in the 1954 Lyttleton constitution, following primarily the model proposed by the western region delegation led by him.

Mr. President, permit me to remind you of the events of post-independence and eventually the civil war which almost consumed this great nation. The battle to keep Nigeria together which you actively participated in was led by gallant young men under the amiable leadership of His Excellency, General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR who was 32 at the time.  All the men who fought to prevent the Biafran Secession during the 1967-70 civil-war were in their twenties and thirties. Notable amongst them are Murtala Mohammed, Benjamin Adekunle, Alani Akinrinade, TY Danjuma, Alabi Isama, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, and Mathew Aremu Olusegun Obasanjo who received the instruments of surrender of the Biafran Secessionists.

Let me further state that posterity has been kind to you. In August 1975, after General Murtala Mohammed took over power, you were appointed as Governor of the North-Eastern state, to oversee social, economic and political improvements in the state. You were 33 years old. Again, in March 1976, the new Head of State General Olusegun Obasanjo, appointed you the Federal Commissioner (an appointment now called Minister) for Petroleum Resources and when the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was created in 1977, you were also appointed chairman, a position you held until 1978. Mr. President, all this happened before your 40th birthday. In 1983, when you became the Head of State at age 43, I was barely six weeks old in my late mother’s womb, and by the time you left office in 1985, I was a toddler learning how to take my first step.

Having highlighted the important roles entrusted and played by the youth in governance and in the history of our nation, I am influenced by this in my evaluation on the issue of the ministers in your government. None of them is below 45 years. Their average age is 52 years. This, I feel, gives the unfortunate impression that the need to mentor a successor generation is being taken for granted by your government. One can clearly see that in nominating your ministers, you tried to strike a balance by nominating experienced politicians, party loyalists and seasoned technocrats. For emphasis, I will like to highlight a few ministers whom I think will bring about a positive change in your administration. (1) IBE KACHIKWU: The Former ExxonMobil Executive Vice Chairman is a well respected technocrat who will certainly bring about the needed change in the oil sector. Many analysts already believe his appointment as the head of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has already started yielding results. (2) My mentor AMINA MOHAMMED is a well known technocrat within and outside Nigeria. Her work on designing several government projects aimed at reducing poverty is well documented. This led to her appointment as an adjunct professor at the prestigious Columbia University in New York and subsequently as the Special adviser to the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon on post 2015 development agenda. Her global experience in development and management will certainly be an asset to this administration when properly harnessed. (3) KEMI ADEOSUN: A seasoned economist and a financial expert will bring about the needed policy in transforming the country’s struggling economy. (4) CHIEF AUDU OGBEH a veteran politician of over four decades and also a seasoned farmer is known to be independent minded and self-willed. Mr. Ogbeh has noted severally, that Nigeria has a vast track of land that analyst believe, if used properly, could create jobs for the country’s army of unemployed youth and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on oil. It is my sincere hope that the veteran politician will be able to bring this theory to reality. (5) ROTIMI AMEACHI is a well known politician and a seasoned administrator of repute. His resolve and efforts in deepening democratic norms in Nigeria are well documented. Ameachi’s commitment to urban renewal and modernization of transportation services during his administration as governor of Rivers state is second to none. His inclusion in this administration as a Minister is a master stroke. I wish him well.

Your Excellency let me quickly remind you of the recent history that was made in Ile-Ife. The emergence of His Imperial Majesty the new Ooni of lfe, the 40 year old Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi. Prior to the elevation to his ancestral throne, His Imperial Majesty has been a successful engineer, accountant and a real estate magnate. Recently, President Barrack Obama appointed Nigerian-born Adewale Adeyemo, 34, as deputy national security adviser for international economic affairs. Also, Bukola Love Oriola, 39, an award winning journalist who won the Cadbury National award for Education Reporters in 2005, was appointed a member of the United States Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.   This paradigm shift is most welcomed and a step in the right direction that I appeal to you to take a clue from the traditional institution. The time to invest in my generation is now. The time for tutelage is now. The time to put my generation in decision making and leadership positions is now. The time to build a successor generation is now.  The sense of hopelessness of my generation is devastating; we are sitting on a time bomb which if allowed to explode will be disastrous. A case in point is the insurgency in the North East, the Niger-Delta militancy, the “Biafran” agitations and the spate of kidnappings across the country.

Of the over 170 million Nigerians, about 65% are young people between the ages of 18-42. The need to invest heavily in the development of this energetic group can never be over emphasized; as a matter of fact, youth empowerment and development should be the cornerstone of your administration.

Since the inception of your administration on May 29th 2015, some of the major achievements recorded thus far were driven by the youth, notably amongst them are; winning the world scrabble championship by Wilson Jigbere who is the first African to hold that record, the under 17 football national team won gold in the recently concluded world youth championship which you were a part of 30 years ago. Also worthy of note, are the contributions of some young Nigerians in the various sectors of the economy. Sijibomi Ogundele the CEO of Sijomoto Group, he exemplifies the text book definition of grass to grace success story. Sijibomi is currently changing the face of Lagos State by providing cutting edge real estate. Engr. Rabiu Sa’id is a civil engineer with vast experience in public and private sector. He led the process that transformed the TVET component of the defunct SURE-P. His huge investment portfolio in real estate is overwhelming. Dr. Y.C Kumtap a renowned medical practitioner is changing the face of medical practice on the Plateau. Uche Pedro is one of Nigeria’s most popular new media entrepreneurs. Bella Naija, the Nigerian lifestyle, entertainment and fashion website which she founded attracts more than 10 million page views every month from readers across the world. Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche is worthy of note for she has made this country proud.

Member Feese the convener of Team Member and a survivor of the deadly UN bombing is changing lives. Linda Ikeji is another phenomenon. Zira Goje the CEO of Floreat Technologies is an entrepreneur extraordinaire. Arc Ibrahim Yunusa Founder & CEO of Ladisgold Projects is providing employment opportunities to young Nigerians. Sim Shagaya the founder & CEO of Konga.com is unbelievable. At the tender age of 23, many young people around the world are still in the university; Gossy Ukanwoke had already started one. The young entrepreneur is the founder of Beni American University, Nigeria’s first private online university. Fela Durotoye is the most sought-after motivational speaker. The social entrepreneur is changing lives through his various projects.  It is important to posit that all the aforementioned young men and women achieved this feat out of sheer determination and hard work. When the potentials of these young men, women and other million Nigerian youth are properly harnessed through inclusion in decision making processes of Government regarding the future of this great country, the sky will be a starting point for Nigeria.

In view of the above, Mr. President, I wish to respectfully request that you consider;

1. The inclusion of at least 30% Nigerian youth in all boards, committees and parastatals.
2. Work with the national assembly in making laws that will compel all political parties to ensure inclusion of at least 30% of young Nigerians for all political offices.
3. Consider the appointment of Nigeria Youth as chief executives in key policy and strategic decision making institutions.
4. Inclusion of Nigerian youth who have excelled and distinguished themselves in their various fields in the national merit awards.

It is my desire with your support to take this campaign to the Nigeria Governors Forum, the National Assembly, State Houses of Assemblies, the ALGON and finally the entire African Continent using the African Youth Alliance as a platform. The future belongs to the youth who dare to dream.

Without self-adulation, Mr. President, my soul mate once told me I am what my generation needs, however, this is not about me; it is about the anguish, frustrations and hopelessness of the Nigerian youth.

My name is Bashir Abdullahi II; I am just standing up for my generation.