The theory of ‘youth bulge’ is gaining currency in the global scene. Its
proponents argue that there is a strong linkage between countries prone
to civil conflicts and those with rapidly growing youth populations.
The theory contends that societies that witness huge youthful population
without corresponding job creation schemes to absorb the latent minds,
inadvertently breed an army of disaffected and disillusioned youths with
high susceptibility of taking up arms; to increase the terror network,
that have come to redefine the dynamics of domestic, regional and
international politics in the 21st century. The World Bank had reported
that “job creation in Nigeria has been inadequate to keep pace with the
expanding working population”. Indeed, the youths represent the best
essence of any given society. They are usually imbued with untainted
energy, robust ideas and virile potentials for charting a new path of
social reproduction. They constitute the elements for confronting the
negative trends in the status quo. Their strategic value makes the
youths very critical in nation-building and leadership recruitment.
Unfortunately in Nigeria, the youths are the worst hit of our predatory
capitalism where there is no welfare anchor for the poor and the
defenseless. Embedded in this is a sharp disconnect between the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and the poverty level, a fact which the Nigerian
Bureau of Statistics (NBS) corroborated by its recent report.
Regrettably, the report indicated that 69% or 112 million Nigerians are
living below poverty line just as 54% of the youths are unemployed. It
is indeed a harsh paradox that in a country where a privileged few are
living in surpluses and opulence, the majority are wallowing in
crippling poverty and deprivations. The enrichment of the tiny elite and
immiseration of the vast majority are at the root of Nigeria’s social
distress.
With the startling revelation that the
unemployment rate in Nigeria is 23% , and over 67 million as unemployed
youths, Abia State Government under the conscientious leadership of
Governor T.A. Orji (Ochendo) has risen up to the responsibility of
tackling the hydra-headed monster from Abia end. Concurring with the
British Council Report that “youths, not oil, will be Nigeria’s most
precious resource in the twenty-first century”, the visionary leader
provided momentary reprieve to the excruciatingly pauperized group whose
extreme level of deprivations is a fertile ground for insecurity and
violent crimes. Before launching into the bigger empowerment packages,
he deployed resources on stop-gap basis to the youths across the
seventeen (17) LGAs of the State. Through the appropriation of the State
House of Assembly, Governor Orji was enabled to pay the sum of fifteen
thousand naira (N15, 000) each to no less than 4500 indigent youths as
monthly stipends. The government increased the empowerment momentum by
procuring and distributing over 700 buses, taxis, Sienna buses and
tricycles to the youths for job creation in the transport sector. The
thinking of government is that this will quickly close the unemployment
gap. The beneficiaries are expected to build the transportation business
to the size of the likes of; The Young Shall Grow, ABC Transport, Peace
Mass Transit, among many others. Positive stories coming out from the
novel project indicate that inter and intra city transport has been
boosted while the fleet of commercial vehicles plying our roads,
including the rural roads have increased considerably; and checked
unnecessary hike in transport fares, usually occasioned by scanty number
of commercial vehicles to the semi-urban areas. In Abia, this has
immensely reduced the surging number of hangers-on and ‘executive’
begging that nearly marred the ingenuity and irrepressible can-do spirit
of our hardworking youths. Another very impactful youth empowerment
package that had eluded the State is the payment of bursary awards of
fifty thousand naira (N50,000) each to Abia students in tertiary
institutions and Nigeria Law School campuses. The reactivation of the
moribund State Scholarship Board as soon as Governor Orji came on board
was a pointer to his avowed readiness to put smiles on Abia students.
Understanding that education is pivotal to decolonization of the mind
and acquisition of the skills that are germane in today’s
knowledge-driven economy, Governor Orji took the gauntlet of
rechanneling the scarce resources to leverage the intellectual pursuit
of Abia young scholars. The recent distribution of computers to schools
and individual students are part of government efforts to key her people
into the in-thing digital economy. Besides, the state skill acquisition
programme has trained many young minds in different vocations and
produced well-trained artisans. Graduates of the scheme equally received
fifty thousand naira (N50,000) seed capital to take off their
businesses and field reports indicate that they are doing well.
The
implementation of these empowerment packages is a watershed in the
policy thrust of Abia State Government. It is a well-crafted plan that
is within reach. The political economy gains are multi-layered. It has
significantly reduced unemployment rate in Abia and achieved truly the
definition of youth empowerment as noted by Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia
as “an attitudinal, structural and cultural process whereby young people
gain the ability, authority and agency to make decisions and implement
change in their own lives and lives of other people, including youths
and adults”. Approaching the youth empowerment from a layman’s
perspective, it connotes a paradigm shift from the prevailing
individualism where youngsters struggle to survive or fend for
themselves without support and encouragement from government. Youth
empowerment of Abia sort is geared towards producing army of
self-reliant youths who can through appropriate guidance and prudent
management of their empowerment packages- vehicles, bursary earnings and
monthly stipends as noted from the foregoing, stand on their own. The
programme is a sleek launching pad for thousands of youths who are
desirous to carve a niche by taking their economic destiny in their
hands.
For those who are students, the stipends can
serve as upkeep while those who lack money to register for public
examinations will find it as a boost to their academic career. With good
savings too, one can raise a significant amount to pay for school fees.
The earnings from bursary can help in paying necessary fees, purchasing
of textbooks, embarking on research trips and personal upkeep. Younger
people who are interested in starting a business can raise a seed
capital to run petty trading and small-scale businesses which will grow
over time. Those who already have businesses can through savings
overtime put their businesses on the track of growth, high yield and
sustainability. Youths are therefore encouraged to start with what they
have and stay on course to build the business with perseverance and hard
work.
Governor T.A. Orji’s youth empowerment scheme
is targeted at stirring up the innate capabilities of young people who
can leverage on what they received from government. With good business
plan and feasibility studies, small scale businesses can be built with a
little start-up capital. There will definitely be some challenges but
dedication and staying power can make a lot of difference.
The
youth empowerment initiative is significant in many respects. One, it
helps to cushion frustration-aggression and raises dashed hopes. Two, it
frees-up bottled disillusionment and resentment among the youths.
Three, it sends a strong signal that the youths occupy a pride of place
in the policy thrust of Abia State Government. Four, it has in more
profound ways alleviated poverty and puts food on the table of the
jobless and unemployed. Five, it makes the poor and vulnerable to have a
voice in their environment through economic empowerment.
From
strategic perspective, Governor T.A. Orji has engendered a harmonious
social environment and moderated myriads of security challenges by
galvanizing the entrepreneurial drive and economic survivalist instincts
of our younger generation. The silver lining is that Ochendo has raised
a compelling yardstick in public policy which incumbent and successive
leaders at all levels will treasure as a benchmark.
Uche lives in Umuahia
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