Youths, Generational Failure and the Crisis of Mentorship in Nigeria

By

Buhari Bello

belloskic@yahoo.com

Yesterday we looked forward to a better tomorrow, but, Today we mourn the loss of better yesterday - Pa Rewane

There is very thing fundamentally wrong with Nigeria state, 50 years after independence. At independence, Nigeria was a beckon of hope and aspiration for nation states in Africa. These nation states are not only aspiring for greater freedom, but, for prosperity and development; which they believe Nigeria will provide the platform for the realization of such dreams. These hopes and aspirations on Nigeria, is crystallized by the abundant mineral and human resources at the disposals of the country. Nigeria can be refers to as a giant that is been dwarfed by her leaders of all season.

At independence, it was believed by the world’s commentators and Nigerians alike, that, with the abundant resources at the disposal of the country; Nigeria will soon joined the executive committee of developed countries. Alas this dream seems not to be a dream, but rather, mere exaggeration and fantasy in the minds of its creators. This is because the men and women that inherited the mantled of leadership seems to be floccules and lack the basic temperaments of leadership that will navigate the ship of the state to its prosperous destination. Instead of taking the right bearing; these leaders decided to reverse the will of fortune of the state back to where it all began; making the worst navigational skills in the history of steering the ship of fortune of nation state.

Over the years, scholars and ordinary people on the street have continues to lament on the state of misfortune that have visited the country; while some blame this wheel of misfortune on the docility in which the followers have conditioned themselves; while other argued that, the crisis of national hopelessness lies squarely on the failure of the leadership of the country in all ages, to rise above partisanship and sincerely offers the pathway of the needed development. Whatever side of spiral you decided to be; the fundament things lie with the facts that, the social system have failed in its responsibilities of changing the society for the better. Therefore both the leadership and followers were to be blame for the fundamental failure of the state. This is rather shared blame and collective guilt.

Out of this centrifugal compass of confusion lies the fundamental role of the younger generation in the development of their country. The youth are the conscience of the nation. It is important to say, that, the youths are the cornerstone to societal development; this is because the youthful age of any society are the wheel in which the society propels itself to rediscovery the wheels of development. These members (youth) of the society represents the most active age that ought to have been mobilize, conscientize, energies, motivate by the society to attain development. This because, this youthful age, are often characterize with curiosity, zealousness, risk takers, innovative, creativity, hardworking, hunger for fame, and passionate hearts for development. So, therefore, their state of health and mind is of major important to any society that desires development and continues existence.

Unfortunately for us in Nigeria; these active members were left without any protection and guidance; which has seriously impacted on their mental and physical contribution to the development of their country. The old guards have refused to paved way for the youths to contribute to the development and actively participate in the governance of their country. Ironically the old guards are too timid and shrewd to evolve any fundamental redirection and change in the social, political and economic wellbeing of the society; because they seem to be enjoying and benefiting from the present status quo of corruption, hopelessness, confusion and social ills. This is why the society and the old Guards have not evolved any strategy to influence and inject the vibrant generation into the leadership position of the country.

Today, the only role the society has for the youth is in the area of entertainment. Entertainment is given the serious attentions, with serious sponsorship from both the government and the corporate organization. Such sponsorship come in the area of beauty pageant, musical concert, films shows, and talents hurts, running into millions of naira. It must be understood that, I have no problem with such programmes, but, I believe there are more the Nigerian youths can contributes to this nation than were entertaining the looters and destroyers of yesteryears and today’s national government. Debasing the Nigerian youth into mere entertainers has seriously misplaced the essence of youthful age and their contribution to national development.

Ironically, it is very difficult to get sponsorship for any youths entrepreneurship seminars, leadership/discipline development and interactive workshop from the government and corporate organization; but, when it is on disco and dancing, the whole fiber of the society will jump to provide assistance. Could this be an attempt to make the youth docile and entertainment frock; dancing and sing themselves to ecstasy; amidst hopelessness, corruption, moral bankruptcy and confusion? When they are suppose to checkmate and mobilize themselves against societal drifts and leadership insensitivity. I think it is not farfetched from the fact, that, the docility and hopelessness witness in our youths is a tactical design by the welders of powers, to alienates the most active forces, from taking their national role of been the vanguard of change and revolution; which they fear most.

This is the crisis of national development we (the Youths) have found ourselves. The Nigerian youths are cage between crisis of leadership development and the failure of mentorship. A society without mentors, the engine that the younger generation looks up to for inspiration and morale booster and careers energize, will not experience development. This because, the role models or mentors are the sources of motivation, and inspiration to the younger ones to challenge them in meeting up the achievement or surpassing their mentors in their future chosen careers in life. They seem to be general crisis of poverty of spirits among the older generation in the country. It is a formidable challenge for any youth to live a decent life and survive without recourse to dishonesty and immoralities; because a culture of corruption has pervaded the landscape of Nigeria in all ramifications.

There is dearth of men and women of integrity in the country; making it difficult to have mentors who will be look upon as role models and agents that will motivate, energizes, conscientize, and mobilize the younger generation as a vanguards of change and ethical revolution in the country. This is the only country where 80 per cent of the supposed billinoners, and millioners, acquired their fame and wealth through participating in the running or been friend or cronies of someone in government. The government is the biggest engine and source of wealth and fortunes in the country. The few industrialists are either been cripple by the policies of government or witch hurt by the government in power. So, sometime you find it difficult to differentiate between private wealth and public interests. What a pity.

Against this aforementioned fact, arises certain questions; what future are we building for these future leaders to inherit and change the course of historical hopelessness and redirect this hopelessness into hope and bridging the gaps of communication that will build a virile society where the dignity of man will be respected and honoured irrespective of his age, gender, location and religion? Is there no need to tackle and bridge the gap of old crisis of experience and lack of experience, and evolve a system of building confidence among two antagonists class?

There is need for efforts to tackle this crisis of national disgrace and champion a course of building a synergy between the younger and the older generation. It is the believe of this write; that there is need for such synergy because, both are vital to the development of the country; because while the younger generation should be recruited and train in the act of leadership and be given the opportunities to excel; the older generation can serve as guardians angels for these young emerging leaders; through their wealth of experience and knowledge; such synergy is vital to the development of the country. The continue deniers of the younger generation on the various leadership positions and lack of leadership recruitment process, will serious endangers serious crisis of national development and make successorship very difficulty, in country where 70 per cent of the population is made up of the younger generation. I think this is something for us, to think about in a no distance future, what the future of Nigeria will be; with the kind youth we are having and their state of mindset? Till then, happy soul searching

Bukhari Muhammed Bello Jega

National Facilitator,

Study Initiative for Leadership Discipline In Nigeria (SILDIN) Abuja. belloskic@yahoo.com