There is indeed no iota of doubt that the youths made up of at least one-third of Nigeria population,the growth and financialYoung Nigerians and path to financial independence
Increasing the GDPA and placing Nigeria on the list of world's largest economies has been an effort since the return of democratic rule in our country, each incumbent government always try to bite it so hard but there still remain loopholes that will never cease to exist. Could it be that our priorities are misplaced? Could it be that the labour force(youths) are utterly neglected and uncared for?
The age of reason I suppose has vanished and what we are left with is the age of unreason, questioning the status quo and doing a thing in an unconventional way.
Challenging the status quo as to financial wellbeing had led our youths to try out different methods. Youths are desperate in pursuit of financial balance and independence, the desperation that has led to impertinence and indulgence in criminal activities, an example of which is internet fraudster adulterated as 'YAHOO YAHOO or YAHOO PLUS". A phenomenon that gained ascendancy lately. There is also a common trend among the folks now "keep your underwear as a precious gem, be safe ", we have seen and always saw on the media people caught in the middle of stealing underwear to sell to rascals and godfathers. Youth killing and taking body parts so as to engage in rituals. One can as well say that their approaches are unconventional and a sign of being unreasonable, but then, they got it all wrong, all missed up and distorted. As if, these are the only means to live and maintain a good standard of living. Anyone that refuses to yield to this is mostly considered an underdog, who wishes not to taste the sweetness of life. It is necessary to point out though that not are all involved, saying that would have meant a fallacy of generalisation.
One would marvel at how we address the genuine financial independence without addressing these issues, without reprogramming their brains and letting them realized that there are Legal ways to achieve it, there are right paths that can be taken.
Nevertheless, our sluggish national development and government that dilly- dallies can be put to blame. The government who seem to have donned the garb of indifference to this abnormality and devastation, a trend that is clearly incompatible with the philosophy and image of a country that is reputed in the communion of nations.
One should indeed be hopeful but at the same time not run away from the truth. The truth itself is a capricious mistress, tantalising and insatiable. Once attached to it, one's existence is forever indentured to fitful companionship of restlessness. The truth that many seems to avoid or not aware of about Nigeria is that: The euphoria and optimism that accompanied the independence of Nigeria in 1960 have evaporated, often in the most brutal manner, leaving the country not only in a situation of unprecedented poverty but also in a frightening level of socio-economic decay.
The golden era has gone. Yes there was once such an era in our country, one can call it the rosy ages, the pre and earlier post-independence era, where even after the secondary school education, there is a kind of employment waiting for you out there, but today it seems that wouldn't happen again, maybe it will, maybe not, time will tell.
But it seems many of us still live in the memory of the forgotten days, hoping for such days to return. We've never been content to leave such passages to the maul of darkness and seek out light, which is facing the present and solving the problem.
We should learn that with this contemporaneity, there exist not enough white collar jobs for graduates that our universities produce annually, the few that exist are being distributed among the majority class, a distribution based clearly on Nepotism - not what you know but who you know - and the few gotten by the minority class can be called sheer luck. We could all see the mediocrity in the outcome.
As for the youths whose future is gloomy and have sullied hope, the very much yearned and deserved financial independence can be achieved on a platter of gold, if only they could do one thing; think outside the box. That means thinking beyond the present situation and projecting into the future, creating an opportunity where there seems to be no one. But there are opportunities everywhere, a chalice of opportunity, it only requires exploration and courage.
The young Nigerians need to look far beyond ordinary and brace themselves to change the history of our dear nation by venturing into entrepreneurship, judicious use of technology and the internet. The three most valued contemporary gifts.
These aforementioned phenomena have liberated not only China but the United States of America and many other nations. Let us quickly go back to the historical lane.
The United States has entrepreneurialism deeply rooted in its history, the county was founded and settled by risk-takers and innovators who are in search of new opportunities and adventures. Most Americans are raised learning about inventors such as Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin while entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie are also celebrated. It appeared that in the late 1970s, the United States was the first country to embrace entrepreneurial endeavours while ditching managerial capitalism. By the later part of the 19th century, entrepreneurs were considered among the elite.
And today the world most successful entrepreneurs are from there. The likes of Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs etc. They all thought outside the box.
We have Jack Ma, founder of Ali Baba in China. One might argue that these are some aged dudes, but it must be acknowledged that they started earlier, mostly as youths, created financial independence not only for themselves but for others too.
Contemplating on the above, it becomes so apparent that one indispensable path to financial independence is entrepreneurship. It is no doubt that young Nigerians are endowed with creativity which is the bedrock which embedded entrepreneurship, but it holds not the monopoly, many things still need to play along. Few of which are expertise, motivation, unflinching support and assistance from the government.
Technology has never reached its peak before in history as it does in this century. And from we what we have seen, it seems that the skies will not even bother to serve as limitations to its growth, the advent of the internet has also contributed greatly in connecting the world and turning our planet into a small global village. There are quite a number of opportunities there for them in the virtual world, and freelancing is one of them. Heard of freelancing? you wouldn't know what it is until you navigate through upwork.com, toptal.com, Fiverr.com and a lot more websites offering such a service and opportunity. Graphics designing, web designing, coding and a plethora of all other skills have never been so useful until this moment.
Then the answers to our jigsaw puzzle of financial meagerness and independence lie in these things, for our generation's survival lies greatly on it.
Lastly, Nigeria youths should be encouraged to learn new things and look into opportunities with enthusiasm. In the endeavour to revitalise and build again our edifice that is being demolished, it is incumbent upon us to pay more than lip services to the affairs of young Nigerians and financial independence, they should be trained to embrace the world and live with changes. Let our classrooms where the minds of these young folks are being prepared transcend learning and memorizing Newton's and Einstein's theories, it should revolve more around using these theories to set themselves free and contributing to the world.
The youths should be no under the illusion that a magical transformation would result from their labour abruptly. Commitment, dedication and perseverance will, however, create the desired result and bring independence.
There is indeed one unsuspected benefit in the pursuit of this exercise, were it to be undertaken. It is contingent upon and will surely lead to a reexamination of the problem of poverty and might just be the fastest route to financial independence.eneralisation.
One would marvel at how we address the genuine financial independence without addressing these issues, without reprogramming their brains and letting them realized that there are Legal ways to achieve it, there are right paths that can be taken.
Nevertheless, our sluggish national development and government that dilly- dallies can be put to blame. The government who seem to have donned the garb of indifference to this abnormality and devastation, a trend that is clearly incompatible with the philosophy and image of a country that is reputed in the communion of nations.
One should indeed be hopeful but at the same time not run away from the truth. The truth itself is a capricious mistress, tantalising and insatiable. Once attached to it, one's existence is forever indentured to fitful companionship of restlessness. The truth that many seems to avoid or not aware of about Nigeria is that: The euphoria and optimism that accompanied the independence of Nigeria in 1960 have evaporated, often in the most brutal manner, leaving the country not only in a situation of unprecedented poverty but also in a frightening level of socio-economic decay.
The golden era has gone. Yes there was once such an era in our country, one can call it the rosy ages, the pre and earlier post-independence era, where even after the secondary school education, there is a kind of employment waiting for you out there, but today it seems that wouldn't happen again, maybe it will, maybe not, time will tell.
But it seems many of us still live in the memory of the forgotten days, hoping for such days to return. We've never been content to leave such passages to the maul of darkness and seek out light, which is facing the present and solving the problem.
We should learn that with this contemporaneity, there exist not enough white collar jobs for graduates that our universities produce annually, the few that exist are being distributed among the majority class, a distribution based clearly on Nepotism - not what you know but who you know - and the few gotten by the minority class can be called sheer luck. We could all see the mediocrity in the outcome.
As for the youths whose future is gloomy and have sullied hope, the very much yearned and deserved financial independence can be achieved on a platter of gold, if only they could do one thing; think outside the box. That means thinking beyond the present situation and projecting into the future, creating an opportunity where there seems to be no one. But there are opportunities everywhere, a chalice of opportunity, it only requires exploration and courage.
The young Nigerians need to look far beyond ordinary and brace themselves to change the history of our dear nation by venturing into entrepreneurship, judicious use of technology and the internet. The three most valued contemporary gifts.
These aforementioned phenomena have liberated not only China but the United States of America and many other nations. Let us quickly go back to the historical lane.
The United States has entrepreneurialism deeply rooted in its history, the county was founded and settled by risk-takers and innovators who are in search of new opportunities and adventures. Most Americans are raised learning about inventors such as Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin while entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford and Andrew Carnegie are also celebrated. It appeared that in the late 1970s, the United States was the first country to embrace entrepreneurial endeavours while ditching managerial capitalism. By the later part of the 19th century, entrepreneurs were considered among the elite.
And today the world most successful entrepreneurs are from there. The likes of Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder, Oprah Winfrey and Steve Jobs etc. They all thought outside the box.
We have Jack Ma, founder of Ali Baba in China. One might argue that these are some aged dudes, but it must be acknowledged that they started earlier, mostly as youths, created financial independence not only for themselves but for others too.
Contemplating on the above, it becomes so apparent that one indispensable path to financial independence is entrepreneurship. It is no doubt that young Nigerians are endowed with creativity which is the bedrock which embedded entrepreneurship, but it holds not the monopoly, many things still need to play along. Few of which are expertise, motivation, unflinching support and assistance from the government.
Technology has never reached its peak before in history as it does in this century. And from we what we have seen, it seems that the skies will not even bother to serve as limitations to its growth, the advent of the internet has also contributed greatly in connecting the world and turning our planet into a small global village. There are quite a number of opportunities there for them in the virtual world, and freelancing is one of them. Heard of freelancing? you wouldn't know what it is until you navigate through upwork.com, toptal.com, Fiverr.com and a lot more websites offering such a service and opportunity. Graphics designing, web designing, coding and a plethora of all other skills have never been so useful until this moment.
Then the answers to our jigsaw puzzle of financial meagerness and independence lie in these things, for our generation's survival lies greatly on it.
Lastly, Nigeria youths should be encouraged to learn new things and look into opportunities with enthusiasm. In the endeavour to revitalise and build again our edifice that is being demolished, it is incumbent upon us to pay more than lip services to the affairs of young Nigerians and financial independence, they should be trained to embrace the world and live with changes. Let our classrooms where the minds of these young folks are being prepared transcend learning and memorizing Newton's and Einstein's theories, it should revolve more around using these theories to set themselves free and contributing to the world.
The youths should be no under the illusion that a magical transformation would result from their labour abruptly. Commitment, dedication and perseverance will, however, create the desired result and bring independence.
Sani Mubaraq writes from University of Ilorin and can be reached via: mubbysani@gmail.com
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