My faith in Nigeria, my hope for the future (Guest writer)

Many young people have lost hope in this country, so all they think of is how to leave the country; it’s quite unfortunate, but I will love you to know that you have a part to play in the rebuilding of this nation. I believe so much in Nigeria that somehow I have a way of seeing the silver lining behind the cloud. There is hope! Our fathers (THE LEADERS) have disappointed us in many ways, the hope we have left is the generation of young people whose mentality have not been entangled in the corruption that stinks all over. The wind of corruption has caught up with some young people, but we have a remnant. It is no more a hidden fact, they are everywhere, and in every sector of our economy young people are proving themselves as leaders, achievers, goal getters and good managers. The increase in civil society, international organizations and even corporate organizations concern for leadership development among young people has proven to be a step in the right direction.
This is where I get my hope from. Our present leaders did not have the opportunity to undergo leadership trainings before they took up such positions, so they just learnt on the job. The African Leadership Forum, LEAP Africa , YoungStars Foundation, Inspiro Communications and Media, UNFPA, UNDP and a lot more organizations have concentrated on leadership development programmes for young people. You may not feel the impact now, but there is hope. Let’s concentrate on building a peaceful, equitable and sustainable future for our children. Our fathers did what they could and gave us the Nigeria we now live in; you have to construct and build the Nigeria you want your children to live in and now is the time.
This is our opportunity to contribute to nation building, do not wait till you are the President, Governor, Senator or even the Counselor to make an impact. Your next door neighbour looks up to you for leadership and direction, your kid sister believes so much in you and will be devastated if you fail, what about your parents, they always believed you will be better than them; my fellow Nigerian youths, we have a lot of work to do in reconstructing the Nigeria of our dreams. I certainly cannot do it alone, I need you to make this happen; you are important! I believe we are the hope of our country, Nigeria . Stop complaining, contribute your part, I will do my part, am sure together we can achieve a Nigeria we would be proud of, we can give our children a country they will boast about.

Guest writer: Isikwenu Oghenefego, National Focal Point, Global Youth Coalition on HIV and AIDS (GYCA), Action Partner, Oxfam International Youth Partnerships (OIYP) and Coordinator, Inspiro Communications & Media (ICM).