Int’l Youth Day: Our Expectations In 2021 And Beyond

Continued from last Friday. Young people are on the frontlines of the struggle to build a better future for all.The Covid -19 pandemic has highlighted the dire need for the kind of transformational change they seek and young people must be full partners in that effort”.This was a comment of United Nation’s Secretary -General,AntonioGuterres during the 2021 International Youth Day which was celebrated worldwide on 12th August 2021 with the theme,”Transforming Food Systems -Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
In view of this, The Tide reached out to young people to voice out their feelings concerning their hope in 2021 and beyond in relation to the theme of this year’s celebration.
Nengi Emmanuel, Student, University of Port Harcourt
I hope to see our country Nigeria have a balance and measure up with other countries of the world.I also hope to see a reduction in the area of corruption and crime rate in this country. It is a pity that young people are involved in some of these things due to poverty. I know that young people can do something for themselves even before graduating from university.
We, as young people should be actually involved in agriculture. Our parents have a lot to do on this through encouragement. I do fish farming and poultry business owned by my family. I started working there when I was in secondary school.
Here in Nigeria,we import more than we export. Young people can champion food production. Those that have similar interest can come together and work towards achieving good security in our country. There are so many Non – Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in Nigeria that can help people achieve this. Government on the other hand should create more opportunities for young persons to work. Government can also make available machineries in farms,that will help the various steps in production like planting and harvesting, this can help create a suitable work place.
For Health,there hasn’t been proper sensitisation. We ,the young people, we have the power of the social media to carry out sensitisation programmes online, we can give out information and follow up the masses to make sure they are in tune with the information. We can also move around physically, we have the strength,we can cover more areas than the older ones,we can give vaccines. We can have health/medical centres where young people who are in the medical line can go into medical research work and come out with vaccines that can cure some of the diseases we are experiencing. It is not only Covid-19,we need to come up with vaccines for malaria.
Anozie Emmanuel Okechukwu, Registered Nurse
I hope to enjoy my success in a safe environment. I also hope for Nigeria to fix poverty, insecurity and create jobs.When most youths graduate from school, there are no jobs.The older generation is sitting tight on the jobs. Government should come up with apprenticeship programmes to train the youths for government jobs so that when the older ones retire,it will be easy to replace them. When the youths don’t have job opportunities, they will be forced to do bad things to survive but the sensible ones go into entrepreneurship to survive. The youths need guidance from the older generation.
Here in America,youths go under the wings of the elders in society. They have job opportunities right from schools. They have a lot of grants for youths especially this Covid period where a lot of people lost their jobs. Government gave “Stimulus Money”(about $1000) three times. I know some NGOs gave out food and money to people in Nigeria,this should be more than food.They should help old people,widows to start businesses and orphans to go to school.
In the area of agriculture,Nigeria’s economy will do better if government seriously go into this sector. They should cut down on importation and use our own natural resources to feed the nation. They should think of exportation and give the youths the chance to harness this area. This will make our economy stronger. For me,even as a medical person, I can focus on livestock, maybe poultry farm and cow rearing,where I can get processed meat,milk and cheese. Government should help the youths to create avenues to own farms because we have the energy and we can do a lot,we cannot waste our strength in kidnapping and armed robbery.
For the health aspect,this is my area. When most youth graudate from medical school,they look to go abroad. I don’t blame them because medical practitioners in Nigeria are not compensated. This encourages braindrain. This is a problem because most of the best experts are abroad. Government should work on the youths, train them well so that they don’t leave the country. I wish Nigeria could be like other countries where we could perform major surgeries instead of people travelling abroad for healthcare services. Nigerian government should cut down the healthcare cost especially for the old people. In the U.S,old people are being paid $500 a month which goes into their medicals and covers them. There should be a change. Government can start small and grow.
Lilian Fubara, Entrepreneur.
I hope to see Nigeria change for good. I believe that the future is bright because Nigeria is a great country. We have all the resources we need to make it. Employment should be available for the youths,even men and women are ready to work but no jobs. I hope to see good roads, constant electricity and better healthcare for everyone.
Agriculture is very good and important. Government should involve the youths in this area to boost food production. Like I know many youths that are farming in Etche Local Government Area. Even in Ogu Town here,youths are into fish farming and piggery to survive. Government can expand on all these . Like now,more people are not planting cassava,that is why garri is very expensive. If youths are encouraged to plant more cassava,and other crops,the price of food stuffs will come down.
For me, I can plant cassava and vegetables,if I have the opportunity and resources. I’m into hair dressing. jobs don’t come every day but it is better than nothing.Concerning healthcare,government needs to train more workers especially youths, I am one of the youths that were trained to go round the local government areas to administer vaccines for children immunization. There is joy in us to work for four days round the clock every time there is immunization,but we are not encouraged.

By: Ibinabo Ogolo