Was the Nigerian president right in referring to the youths as "lazy and uneducated"?

I am a Nigerian trained historian. Rarely do historians answer yes or no question. Hence, the question “Was the Nigerian president right in referring to the youths as "lazy and uneducated"? can only get a ‘yes and no’ answer from me.

But, what is the definition of a youth in Nigeria?

The National Youth Policy defines Nigerian youth as someone between the ages of 18 and 35. Demographically, there are about 100 million young persons who fall within this age bracket in Nigeria. The country has a total population of about 180 million.

Now, was the President correct in his statement?

Yes.

Many perceive that the President is correct because about 70 million Nigerian youths are jobless. A jobless youth was assumed to be lazy by the President.

Yes.

Because many believe that Nigerian youths have not been able to challenge the status quo, take over power by force or commit genocidal crimes that the likes of President Buhari, Obasanjo, Babangida, etc committed as youths during the Nigerian Civil War (1967–1970).

Yes.

The President is correct because those in his age bracket (65–100 years) have destroyed the education system, crippled the economy, incapacitated the energy sector, tear down the farmlands, shattered scientific progress and poisoned the minds of the youth with terrorism, ethnic violence, ritual money, drug trafficking, online scam, sugar daddy sex, and many more.

Now, was the President correct that Nigerian youths are lazy?

No.

Nigerian youths are not lazy. In Africa, they are the largest labour migrants and there is no country in this world that you’ll not find a Nigerian youth working to make a living. In 2017, Nigerian youth in Diaspora remitted $22 billion back home. That’s huge and is more than the annual budget of some countries in Africa.

No.

Nigerian youths are not uneducated. Every year, over 1 million youths sit for university entrance exam (JAMB) and tertiary institutions across the country produce a combined number of over 600,000 graduates. Nigerian youths are in prestigious universities in Europe, America, Asia, Australia, and others. They are one of the most educated in the world.

No.

Nigerian youths are not lazy. They are the best hustlers in Africa. They hawk in the streets, do construction, serve in the army, work in the banks, trade in the markets, do online businesses, trade in auto-parts and work in the farms. They are the engine of Nigerian economy.

Share if you believe in the Nigerian youth!!!

By: Omotere Tope.