Youths, Nigeria’s greatest asset, says Nurudeen

A communication consultant, Faozey Oladotun Nurudeen, has warned that hunger and poverty will remain at unacceptable levels unless purposeful action is taken to give higher policy priority to human capital development, with adequate resources mobilised towards agriculture and rural development.
Delivering  a public lecture on Nigeria and Challenges of
Development in Oyo town, Nurudeen, an engineer, who noted that most of the youth in the country are incredibly intelligent, but their intelligence manifests through negative channels, said if this desire for success can be channeled rightly, the Nigerian society can give birth to some great intellectuals and entrepreneurs of international repute.
‘’Youths are one of the greatest assets that any nation can have. Not only are they legitimately regarded as the future leaders, they are,
potentially and actually the greatest investment for a country’s
development. They serve as a good measure of the extent to which a
country can reproduce as well as sustain itself. The extent of their
vitality, responsible conduct and roles in society is positively
correlated with the development of their country’’.
 Commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his prompt assent to Not
Too Young To Rule Bill, Nurudeen posited that young people must be
trained and as quickly as possible, to provide leadership in
agriculture, industry, government and economic development projects.
‘’They must be developed intellectually, morally, socially and with
relevant skills to face a rapidly advancing technological world. The
youths need an active involvement in participating with the current
political and economic leaders to foster inter-generational dialogue
hereby enhancing adequate transitional shift. They should equally be
actively involved in the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) agenda.
This is because they constitute the major resource base for any
country that want to embark on any meaningful development project’’.
Entrepreneurship in Nigeria, the communication expert asserted, is a
major avenue to increasing the rate of economic growth, create job
opportunities, reduce import of manufactured goods and decrease the
trade deficits that result from such imports, adding that the influx
and encouragement of youths into ventures will definitely help salvage
our wasting economy.
Nurudeen, an Oyo Central Senatorial aspirant said his vision was to
re-define the ethics of politics and governance that is equal for
everyone, thereby establishing a sustainable world for future
generations.
 ‘’This is in recognition of the fact that raising leaders is critical
to nation building and wealth creation. I am inspired to equip  women
and youths, business owners and social entrepreneurs to lead ethically
while implementing initiatives that transform their communities and
organizations for better, as well as sustaining livelihood and
contributing to national development’’.
 Attributing  the effects if value erosion in the country to wanton
poverty and lack of visionary leadership, conflict of interest and
democratic responsibility; the senatorial aspirant asserted that
ethical behavour is the bedrock of mutual trust.
While advocating proactive and independent lifestyles for the youths,
the consultant pointed out the need for the younger generation to
hunger for relevant facts and skills, thereby seeking solutions to the
challenges facing the country through enhanced mental capacity.
‘’This is the foundation to any true renaissance. Where after one
person in the family is well placed, other people in the family now
wait for his largesse to survive. The same attitude is what paralyses
our graduates from breaking out to pioneer great things. It stops the
youth from acting proactively hence he leaves his destiny to chance
forgetting that he is the master of his fate and can be a source of
inspiration and livelihood to the generations coming after him or her.
Our economy will be positively affected when the youths begin to act
with the future in mind and having a visionary packaging’’