Youth Action; The catalyst for National Development
— by: Ridwan Agboluaje (Online Cohort 2)
According to the Unite Nations,
“Youth” is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence and awareness of our interdependence as members of a community. Youth is a more fluid category than a fixed age-group.” The Commonwealth defines youth as 15-29 years of age. The African Youth Charter defines youth as “any individual between 15-35 years of age and seeks to resolve longstanding debates about defining youth within the African context and based on Africa’s development realities.”
Youth in Africa constituted 19% of the global youth population in 2015, numbering 226 million.[1] The United Nations defines youth as people aged 15 to 24 years.[2] By 2030, it is predicted that the number of youths in Africa will have increased by 42%. If Africa’s leaders do not act quickly to move the continent into the 21st century, young people will leave them behind. Young people are ready for the digital era and are engaged in technology, but governments are not keeping up. They have not “fully embraced this new bright and brave world that young people live in today.
“Africa now has this great opportunity, having lost out on previous revolutions, to leapfrog,"South Africa’s President Cyril M. Ramaphosa. The speed at which mobile phones have been adopted across the continent over the past decade highlights the willingness of Africans to adopt new technology.
My challenge to Africa Youth.
I will like to start by saying forgive me, because I don’t want to be an emperor that’s doesn’t concern me. I don’t want to want rule or conquer anyone. I would like to help everyone Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Tiv, Black man and white.
We all want to help one another. Humans are like that, We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate one another in this world; the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned our souls, our heart has barricaded with the word hate, and hatred has leaded us into bloodshed. We have developed speed but not have shut ourselves in. machinery has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness without these qualities life will be violent and will be cost.
Internet has brought us closer together. These inventions cry out for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, Millions of despairing men, women and children victim of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those people who can hear me I say do not despair. The misery upon us is but the passing of greed. The hate of human will pass and dictators die, and the power they took will return to the people on day. A long as human die liberty will never perish. Youths don’t give yourselves to brutes men who despise you, who enslave you , regiment our lives, what to think and feel, who drill you down treat you like cattle and use you as cannon fodder.
Don’t give yourselves to these men, machine minds and machine hearts. You are not a machine, you are not cattle you are men! You have the love of humanity in you. Don’t hate but love. Don’t fight for slavery fight for liberty. St Luke sys, “The kingdom of God is within man” not in one man nor a group of men, but, in all the power to create happiness. You have the power to make this life a wonderful adventure. Lets us use that power let us all unite, lets fight for a new Nation, a nation that will give youth a chance to work that will give youth a future and security. Promising these things, brute have risen but the lie!
They do not fulfill that promise.
Dictators will never free themselves but they enslave the people. Now let us fight to free our Nation, to do away with national barriers, to do away with greed, with hatred and intolerance, let us fight for a world of reason.
A Nation where science and progress will lead to the happiness of all.
Youths Let us unite.
About the Writer:
Ambassador Ridwan is an online Cohort 2 Alumnus with over 6 years experience in Information Technology and 3 years Education Advocacy, Youth Activism, Community Development and Human Rights (especially Teenager’s right to education). He is a globally recognized youth activist and education advocate working to promote quality, functional and inclusive education for all with the aim of fostering youths and community development in Africa.
Email: Readwon08@yahoo.com
Tel: +2348030599113
