They tell us adult age starts from 18 years old, but what do we see around us today? Some men are still behaving like boys and women acting like girls all in their reasoning, dress senses, responsibilities, how they talk, handle situations and many more. On the issue of adult-hood in the general terms, it is accepted that from 18 years a boy or girl automatically becomes an adult, in the developed world he or she automatically becomes independent, he or she can decide to stay on his or her own, can even choose to marry, can be sued or sue someone in case of crimes committed vice-versa, etc. In Nigeria’s context, I beg to differ because I am quoting from our lame constitution that has failed to be pro-citizens, according to;

Section 29. (1) Any citizen of Nigeria of full age who wishes to renounce his Nigerian citizenship shall make a declaration in the prescribed manner for the renunciation, section (4) reads; for the purposes of subsection (1) of this section.
(a) "full age" means the age of eighteen years and above;
(b) any woman who is married shall be deemed to be of full age.
Full age here means the adult age, which means a girl who is a minor probably by age 14 and finds herself married to a man (a common practice in the Northern part) automatically becomes an adult (according to the b part) even though she is just 14 years old – see what I mean! Going further, who is an adult in Nigeria’s context? An adult is supposed to be a fully grown and matured person. In Nigeria, it is commonly said that, the moment a boy impregnates a girl, he automatically becomes a man because of the attendant responsibilities of caring for a new born baby, forgetting that he is jobless and still dependent! Another school of thoughts opines that when a ‘boy’ can provide for his household he automatically qualifies to be a man, then what happens to the one who cannot provide for his family, although he is a man? Some believe the moment a girl becomes independent by virtue of her good job; she automatically becomes a woman (an adult) irrespective of her age. Some even labeled some men as ‘responsible’ just because they are married. It is pathetic to note that some men or women in their 30s are still staying with their parents and probably collects ‘pocket money’ just to survive, and does that qualifies them as adults or not – I am just asking!

Gowon was 32 years old when he suddenly became President, Ojukwu was 33 when he became a President of a new country; ‘Republic of Biafra,’ they were supposed to be adults at least going by their age, unfortunately both displayed high level of immaturities expected of someone not qualified to be called an adult by definitions (even though they were adults by age)! Consequently, the current constitution of this country stipulates that a person aspiring to become the President of Nigeria must be at least 40 years old, according to section 131 (b); according to section 65, sub section1(a) 35 years is the minimum age for someone aspiring to become a Senator; while section 65, sub section1(b) pegged 30 years for the minimum age for someone aspiring to become a member of House of Representatives. Are we going to say a 30 year old man or 40 year old in place of power or big positions in Nigeria is the same as a man of the same age with the same opportunities in the developed world, at least going by the way those who fall within these age brackets in Nigeria act when in office or place of power?

Considering all these, the question still re-echoes in my heart that, at what General Age does one becomes an adult in Nigeria? Is it the age of 18 or 25 or 30 or (permit me to include) 40? Honestly, I still don’t get it!

Over to you Nairalanders!

35~40years

Chubhie:
35~40years

You have said it all, as much as I feel this age bracket is wrong for humans, what do you think could be practically wrong for this anomaly when in saner climes, adulthood is reached at 18 but to be real anything from 20 upwards is ok.......Nigeria need HELP!

We have a Constitution because other nations have theirs, NOT because we really see its need. SMH!

In Nigeria, anyone below 35 is yet to be considered an adult, totally contrary to what our copied Constitution says.

Ours is weird society. Very weird!

tomakint:

You have said it all, as much as I feel this age bracket is wrong for humans, what do you think could be practically wrong for this anomaly when in saner climes, adulthood is reached at 18 but to be real anything from 20 upwards is ok.......Nigeria need HELP!

The Nigerian situation is pathetic. No government safety net or bail out for her youth, parents churning out kids with no concrete life long plans for them.

I try to refrain my self from speaking about Nigerians problems cos it boggles the mind of how a country as wealthy as Nigeria can't seem to get the basics right while the majority of people that bear the blunt smiles sheepishly without knowing the extent of how the political class has short charged them.

Chubhie:
The Nigerian situation is pathetic. No government safety net or bail out for her youth, parents churning out kids with no concrete life long plans for them.

I try to refrain my self from speaking about Nigerians problems cos it boggles the mind of how a country as wealthy as Nigeria can't seem to get the basics right while the majority of people that bear the blunt smiles sheepishly without knowing the extent of how the political class has short charged them.

It's a sad situation. It's almost beyond being adequately expressed with words. Sometimes you determine to refrain from talking about it BUT sooner than you think you're in it again because of the passion you have for development and sanity in the system.

Our system was carefully designed to perpetuate the old thieves while keeping the youths out of the game by using religious and ethnic arrangement. There's NOTHING for the youths in the system.

Yes. The mentality and attitude of the sheepish and docile masses of youth was a part of the elaborate device by the old brigades. The educational sector that's supposed to liberate the youths have been irreparably compromised. Lies and propaganda have been the order of the day.

And the youths are also culpable. This is the best period in recorded human history that one can become WHATEVER one wishes. The plethora of information isn't utilised by the youths at all. How many of the youths have the constitution installed on their devices?

You can tell where a nation is headed by the attitudes of its YOUTHS. It's a depressing situation.

The youths are not to blame. We are victims of the mistakes of our elders

Many Nigerians who are through with their university/polytechnic education and NYSC are still dependent on their family for food and shelter, which is pathetic. Can such a person be bold enough to call him or herself an adult?

Like l was discussing with my brother yesterday, that it is extremely difficult for a young person to start out life in Nigeria. That even Kenya we are far richer than has a system that simplifies things for people. Rent payment is monthly, one can get a bedsitter (a room with a kitchen and toilet/shower ensuite) for N15k monthly. To move in, one needs to pay one month rent and one month deposit and one gets the key of the place! Buy a mattress and a stove.....life have begun! Should one's financial situation improve within that month and wants to move into a bigger space as long as there are no damages in the apartment, the landlord refunds the deposit!

If this system is obtainable in Nigeria, we will become independent earlier in life.

dearpreye:


It's a sad situation. It's almost beyond being adequately expressed with words. Sometimes you determine to refrain from talking about it BUT sooner than you think you're in it again because of the passion you have for development and sanity in the system.

Our system was carefully designed to perpetuate the old thieves while keeping the youths out of the game by using religious and ethnic arrangement. There's NOTHING for the youths in the system.

Yes. The mentality and attitude of the sheepish and docile masses of youth was a part of the elaborate device by the old brigades. The educational sector that's supposed to liberate the youths have been irreparably compromised. Lies and propaganda have been the order of the day.

And the youths are also culpable. This is the best period in recorded human history that one can become WHATEVER one wishes. The plethora of information isn't utilised by the youths at all. How many of the youths have the constitution installed on their devices?

You can tell where a nation is headed by the attitudes of its YOUTHS. It's a depressing situation.

During my time in one of the most prided federal institutions that I still see people celebrate!! I cringed at the conditions students are subjected to..... Like prison cells!!!! I never stayed in there school provided hostel for once. The quality of the teaching is something else. Even the lecturers lack the motivation to deliver.

Plato's allegory of the cave best describes the true condition of the Nigerian youths.

Look consciously and you will see that the education sector is systematically being priced beyond the reach of many even with no improvements by same people who were products of The Great Awo's foresight. I read Nairaland politics board and shakes my head!!!

Chubhie:
During my time in one of the most prided federal institutions that I still see people celebrate!! I cringed at the conditions students are subjected to..... Like prison cells!!!! I never stayed in there school provided hostel for once. The quality of the teaching is something else. Even the lecturers lack the motivation to deliver.

Plato's allegory of the cave best describes the true condition of the Nigerian youths.

Look consciously and you will see that the education sector is systematically being priced beyond the reach of many even with no improvements by same people who were products of The Great Awo's foresight. I read Nairaland politics board and shakes my head!!!

The mental states of the youths has been bastardised to the extent they can tolerate the most terrible living conditions. Mental slavery is the worst form of it.

Any person that loves life and development can never be happy with the happenings in Nigeria, especially in and around the education system. The university system seems the worst....the youths just don't care; survival mode thoroughly activated to survive the four years before entering the reality of the cold world thereafter.

Pavore9:
Many Nigerians who are through with their university/polytechnic education and NYSC are still dependent on their family for food and shelter, which is pathetic. Can such a person be bold enough to call him or herself an adult?

Like l was discussing with my brother yesterday, that it is extremely difficult for a young person to start out life in Nigeria. That even Kenya we are far richer than has a system that simplifies things for people. Rent payment is monthly, one can get a bedsitter (a room with a kitchen and toilet/shower ensuite) for N15k monthly. To move in, one needs to pay one month rent and one month deposit and one gets the key of the place! Buy a mattress and a stove.....life have begun! Should one's financial situation improve within that month and wants to move into a bigger space as long as there are no damages in the apartment, the landlord refunds the deposit!

If this system is obtainable in Nigeria, we will become independent earlier in life.

Is this furnished apartment in the capital city? Cos with that amount you can get a decent 1bedroom in some Nigerian cities although not furnished.

Chubhie:
Is this furnished apartment in the capital city? Cos with that amount you can get a decent 1bedroom in some Nigerian cities although not furnished.

It's true but you failed to mention that in Nigeria you can't pay monthly. You have to pay for a year and some landlord's even request for 2 years plus agreement fee which is non refundable.

Besides, minimum wage is 18k monthly and not everyone earns that much

dearpreye:


The mental states of the youths has been bastardised to the extent they can tolerate the most terrible living conditions. Mental slavery is the worst form of it.

Any person that loves life and development can never be happy with the happenings in Nigeria, especially in and around the education system. The university system seems the worst....the youths just don't care; survival mode thoroughly activated to survive the four years before entering the reality of the cold world thereafter.

For most guys in the system who got stuck and resort to self help..... I know of few who shared how they survived with me. Some were highway armed robbers with ak's while some do yy to survive. Some of them that got luck left the country.

Today, yy doesn't pay and highway robbery is not lucrative anymore cos people have embraced e payment save you have the heart to burst a bank. If not for Nairabet or 1960bet............

Nigerian youths still remains a force to be reckoned with when given the right tools and environment to thrive.

Chubhie:
For most guys in the system who got stuck and resort to self help..... I know of few who shared how they survived with me. Some were highway armed robbers with ak's while some do yy to survive. Some of them that got luck left the country.

Today, yy doesn't pay and highway robbery is not lucrative anymore cos people have embraced e payment save you have the heart to burst a bank. If not for Nairabet or 1960bet............

Nigerian youths still remains a force to be reckoned with when given the right tools and environment to thrive.

We've never been fortunate with leadership.

Leaders are supposed to see into the future and plan ahead for the youths just like every parents will do for their kids, BUT our leaders have criminally failed us. And then the youths have to resort to self help.

Nigerians are intelligent and resilient people; we just have idiots as rulers.

hahn:


It's true but you failed to mention that in Nigeria you can't pay monthly. You have to pay for a year and some landlord's even request for 2 years plus agreement fee which is non refundable.

Besides, minimum wage is 18k monthly and not everyone earns that much

Those agents can be so heartless! If I'm given the option of paying monthly or yearly, I will still elect the yearly payment if I have the cash. Most employers barely pay even the minimum wage. 10k is the unofficial minimum wage in the streets.

Chubhie:
35~40years

In mentally healthy organic nations, many people at that age bracket are already well established grandparents.

dearpreye:


We've never been fortunate with leadership.

Leaders are supposed to see into the future and plan ahead for the youths just like every parents will do for their kids, BUT our leaders have criminally failed us. And then the youths have to resort to self help.

Nigerians are intelligent and resilient people; we just have idiots as rulers.

Our leaders have perfected and hijacked our democratic structures so no youth can pull any surprises on them. They determines who gets through and who gets what.

Democracy is not our thing.... Sometimes I think of an Nzeogwu V2 to rescue Nigeria.

FrankAba1:


In mentally healthy organic nations, many people at that age bracket are already well established grandparents.

We all need to wail for the Nigerian condition.

Chubhie:
Our leaders have perfected and hijacked our democratic structures so no youth can pull any surprises on them. They determines who gets through and who gets what.

Democracy is not our thing.... Sometimes I think of an Nzeogwu V2 to rescue Nigeria.

A very worrisome scenario. The youths didn't see the handwriting on the political wall on time. When we finally did, it was almost over.

Nzeogwu V2? What were you thinking? LOL!

Chubhie:
We all need to wail for the Nigerian condition.

Personally, I have since lost hope for the Nigerian experiment. The disparity between the indigenous people is enormous to build a Nation. And the politicians understand this.
Solution to the nightmare?: Total revolution; the survivors can decide how they wish to live and survive as a people.
Easy option, end the experiment and let the indigenous tribes forge their country or form one with those they have things in common with. My Muslim 'brothers' up North, have chosen a sharia state, I don't envy them but I can't quite figure out how that fits in a Democratic state my heart bleeds for. I have heard people say: It doesn't matter who is in power, as long as they provide "Dividend of Democracy". And that leaves me asking - What is Dividend of Democracy?

Chubhie:
Is this furnished apartment in the capital city? Cos with that amount you can get a decent 1bedroom in some Nigerian cities although not furnished.

This is for an unfurnished apartment in Nairobi and also with that same amount one can get a one bedroom flat in some neighbourhood and a two bedroom flat in some other Kenyan cities. If one chooses to pay one year rent upfront, the management of the property would be very willing to collect it but why pay that when one can pay monthly and use the remaining money to invest in his business as the profit from it should cover the monthly. One can even get a room in a face me-l-face you property for N4,000 monthly.

The essence of my earlier post is that our system forces our youths to have to wait till they save enough for annual payment of rent before thinking of living independently.

It's a pathetic situation.

Chubhie:
Those agents can be so heartless! If I'm given the option of paying monthly or yearly, I will still elect the yearly payment if I have the cash. Most employers barely pay even the minimum wage. 10k is the unofficial minimum wage in the streets.

And even @ 10k people still get owed months salaries

The epileptic economy is another thing and one is unable to budget expenses because you can wake up the next day and everything in the market has incrased for no reason. I remember when I stayed in Cotonou,standard prices for good and services were being announced on tv. I am 95% sure that everything I bought then will still be available at the same price but Nigeria's case is different. Prices go up here for no apparent reason.

The same bread that was N5 when I was in primary school is now N70. And no one can explain why

hahn:


And even @ 10k people still get owed months salaries

The epileptic economy is another thing and one is unable to budget expenses because you can wake up the next day and everything in the market has incrased for no reason. I remember when I stayed in Cotonou,standard prices for good and services were being announced on tv. I am 95% sure that everything I bought then will still be available at the same price but Nigeria's case is different. Prices go up here for no apparent reason.

The same bread that was N5 when I was in primary school is now N70. And no one can explain why

It's a weird society...so weird that no one asks question....Everyone's just neck deep into their own survival; no one sees the bigger picture. Crazy.

dearpreye:


It's a weird society...so weird that no one asks question....Everyone's just neck deep into their own survival; no one sees the bigger picture. Crazy.

Unfortunately, we do not realize that things will only get better us when it becomes better for all of us!

What's the point of having money, being able to buy a big house in Lekki and a big car only for your house to get flooded, as a result of non existent drainage systems, and your car gets converted into a submarine? When Nigerians get money, they immediately lose any sense of responsibility.

Poor people are so used to living in hardship that they scream, "up nepa", when power is restored even though we all get and pay monthly electricity bills. We don't get power supply for a month and when it's restored for 12 hours in a day people go, "they tried"

If you take a bus from Cele-Ijesha to Oshodi for N50 in the morning, rain falls in the late afternoon, you'll most likely pay up to N300 for the same distance

Police ask for a fee when you want to report a case and you might even get arrested for reporting a case

It is now the norm to toss waste on the streets. Every empty gala wrap, pure water sachet, biscuit wrappers, pet bottles go directly from the mouth and on the street. No one cares to have dustbins in their business place when they can dump refuse in the gutter

People will build up to 10 shops and not bother to add one single toilet. In Lagos Island it's a building, up to 3 stories, per toilet

Our tendency to make things harder for ourselves is simply ludacriss

hahn:


Unfortunately, we do not realize that things will only get better us when it becomes better for all of us!

What's the point of having money, being able to buy a big house in Lekki and a big car only for your house to get flooded, as a result of non existent drainage systems, and your car gets converted into a submarine? When Nigerians get money, they immediately lose any sense of responsibility.

Poor people are so used to living in hardship that they scream, "up nepa", when power is restored even though we all get and pay monthly electricity bills. We don't get power supply for a month and when it's restored for 12 hours in a day people go, "they tried"

If you take a bus from Cele-Ijesha to Oshodi for N50 in the morning, rain falls in the late afternoon, you'll most likely pay up to N300 for the same distance

Police ask for a fee when you want to report a case and you might even get arrested for reporting a case

It is now the norm to toss waste on the streets. Every empty gala wrap, pure water sachet, biscuit wrappers, pet bottles go directly from the mouth and on the street. No one cares to have dustbins in their business place when they can dump refuse in the gutter

People will build up to 10 shops and not bother to add one single toilet. In Lagos Island it's a building, up to 3 stories, per toilet

Our tendency to make things harder for ourselves is simply ludacriss

It's all in the values. When the only thing that motivates a people is MONEY, that society becomes nothing more than a brute jungle where anything goes.

We're a people without values or beliefs. All we seek is money. So we could live in soakaways as far as we're making the money.

After decades of misrule and military madness, Nigerians have been reduced to almost imaginable sublevels of humanity in reasoning and behaviour. It's the same thing here in PH. Sometimes it appears I'm the ONLY odd one out there.

Civilisation has got very little to do with formal education. I consider a person educated if the person has developed their faculties to the extent that they can achieve whatever they desire without violating the rights of others.

The wealthier I become the more compassionate I've become too. For I see complete happiness in the happiness of others. All in all, we are incapable of self government at the moment. It's weird sir.

hahn:


Unfortunately, we do not realize that things will only get better us when it becomes better for all of us!

What's the point of having money, being able to buy a big house in Lekki and a big car only for your house to get flooded, as a result of non existent drainage systems, and your car gets converted into a submarine? When Nigerians get money, they immediately lose any sense of responsibility.

Poor people are so used to living in hardship that they scream, "up nepa", when power is restored even though we all get and pay monthly electricity bills. We don't get power supply for a month and when it's restored for 12 hours in a day people go, "they tried"

If you take a bus from Cele-Ijesha to Oshodi for N50 in the morning, rain falls in the late afternoon, you'll most likely pay up to N300 for the same distance

Police ask for a fee when you want to report a case and you might even get arrested for reporting a case

It is now the norm to toss waste on the streets. Every empty gala wrap, pure water sachet, biscuit wrappers, pet bottles go directly from the mouth and on the street. No one cares to have dustbins in their business place when they can dump refuse in the gutter

People will build up to 10 shops and not bother to add one single toilet. In Lagos Island it's a building, up to 3 stories, per toilet

Our tendency to make things harder for ourselves is simply ludacriss

It's a system without guidelines and standards. We just don't care. All we need and care for is MONEY.

In the Nigeria of today

the answer to your question would be











When you chop ur first 1million from Bet9ja

Jesus is 2035 years old and still lives in his father's house.... don't pressure me please (na yoke I de ooooo)

54 years according to the new administration

dearpreye:


A very worrisome scenario. The youths didn't see the handwriting on the political wall on time. When we finally did, it was almost over.

Nzeogwu V2? What were you thinking? LOL!

If Ameachi and Co can be smuggled in as Generals of common sense revolution and succeed in taking over government and sharing spoils of war amongst themselves then it is order if the Masses consult from doctors of revolution as Nzeogwu.