An Article by Femi Oladele, 2025 EPLF Fellow
“While we slept, men sowed tars in our fields”
While busy ‘trying’ to survive, the shakers and movers of the political space have moved around the circumference leaving many young people behind; keeping young people busy with a desire to survive, show-off, and pontificate on the ideals of economic malnourished ego.
I am alarmed by the number of young people involved in ‘unproductive’ ventures. I do not doubt that there are significant disputations to contributions to the economy, reminiscent of grave controversies and anomalies. How did we get here, where young people are only moved by hedonic pleasure? The political space beckons, yet we cry foul play. Who will go for us? Is it only about developing a strategy to take over other countries or making a living out of our country? Do we envisage that there is an opportunity that we have missed, because we have decided to live by the strands of incapacity and not necessarily because we cannot comprehend the helms of power?
We have not matched the energy required to build a formidable force to rival what they have handed over to us as the desires of our heart. Now, they are doing all it takes to keep us busy with unproductive ventures while the weightier issues of the socio-politico-economy lags, because we have surely handed it over in exchange for a morsel of porridge. Why?
Young men and women; arise. Stand up, not to fight a physical battle, but desirous of doing greatly in the adverse environment that we have found ourselves. We have an opportunity to make things right. Today. Now!
Where do you stand to understand? For our transition to be complete, we need to test our readiness for the new phase of growth. How do we engage? How do we proceed? How do we enrage our mild desires to achieve greatness beyond our immediate environment to every nook and cranny.
The opportunities are almost lost, but we can make a difference. Today, that difference starts with me, with you, with us. Together, an army towards the mark. Growing daily, as we encourage others into the undying love for our country. Many young people have lost any iota of love for Nigeria. But we see it in angst toward any form of success that we can achieve. And today, I encourage you to stand up.
Did we not miss another opportunity to be involved in the affairs of global politics? Talk more about national politics. Are we going to continue to hope for a future that is not only distant but captured by the desires of those who assume that we are blessed but unready, unfit, undeserving of leadership positions because we do not reach out enough, because to them, we are only young people – incapable of doing anything meaningful with power. Because again, to them, it is only a waste of resources to even imagine a future ‘equalling’ them in any way.
Are we sure we’re getting this? Are we making efforts to understand what it is that is ahead? Are we ready to contribute meaningfully?
Femi Oladele is a Public Policy Enthusiast and can be reached via email at olafemidele@gmail.com
Kindly note that these are all thoughts from our fellow.
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