The youths are the leaders of tomorrow, just like they say. This sentence I have being hearing since infancy and I have been thinking and researching if that’s true in its real sense.It might be true of course but I found my mind to be more comfortable with saying it the other way round, the youths are the leaders of today.
However it may be, whether the leaders of today or tomorrow, all that matter is the desire for difference from yesterday. Currently the Nigerian political system is full of aspiring old political leaders but sadly, very few live up to the leadership ideals. In fact, many of them are old enough to be great grand fathers , most of these political leaders seem to severely lack some of the most important leadership qualities, such as integrity and accountability. It is no coincidence that for many people in Nigeria, the word “politician” has such negative connotations! However, history – and present day – shows us that there are still a few who come close to the leadership ideals and who are good examples of an effective political leader.
And that is where the role of a youth comes into play. For centuries now, there has being a popular saying that “THE YOUTHS ARE THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW” that is a political slogan being used to brain wash the youths at the same time giving them flash less hope. A slogan devoid of truth.
Yesterday I went to a friends shop to buy food stuffs , I saw a notice pasted in front of his shop, the notice was “NO CREDIT TODAY COME TOMORROW” I left and came back the next day, he equally told me the same thing. Meaning that tomorrow has no end. Tomorrow can not be held or quoted with trust in this context .But “TODAY ” can be trusted.
It’s sad to note that ,the only leadership position which majority of our youths hold in this country is that of the leadership of WhatsApp groups. Which is very pathetic and ironically.The problem here is.
Are our youths ready to take over? Are they ready to become the leaders of today and not that of endless tomorrow ?
Are they prepared for the task ahead? Are they ready to migrate from being WhatsApp group leaders to political leaders in the society ?
Sometimes I get scared if truly this present youths can be the positive leaders of tomorrow. Am scared if they can be able to handle this power if given to them. Am scared if they can be ready to help their fellow youths and not using the power to subdue their fellow youths. Am saying this out of experience based on how they manage the small WhatsApp group leadership powers being given to them. The way they remove and block people at their own leisure as if we are in the military regime .
But never the less; we want a positive change, we want our country to move forward, we want the youths to be given a sense of belonging. Just like a popular by Vince Lombardi saying that “Leaders are made, they are not born. They are made by hard effort, which is the price which all of us must pay to achieve any goal that is worthwhile.”
l wish to advice our youths that it is better to learn how to be effective partners today so that they can truly assume the role of effective leaders tomorrow. In our national history, youths who subjected themselves to leadership mentorship rose to be truly leaders.
“Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there.”— John P. Kotter.
We should not be afraid or discouraged because of our age ….
“If you ever think you’re too small to be effective, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito!”
“Youth involvement has moved forward. It is no longer seen as a rebellious act, the way it was a few decades ago.” — Maureen A. Sedonaen
We should be ready to make our present leaders to know that “rather than standing or speaking for our youths , we need to stand with our youths speaking for themselves. We don’t need just a political movement for our youths … we need to build environments and make policies that we favour our youths for our collective future.”
Its time for us to demand for a youth between the ages of 18-35 be appointed as a minister for youths and commissioner for youths in our respective states.
The national youth development policy (2001, P.1) asserts that ‘‘Youths are the foundation of a society. Their energies, inventiveness, character and orientation define the pace of development and security of a nation. Through their creative talents and labour power, a nation makes giant strides in economic development and socio-political attainment. In their dreams and hopes, a nation founds her motivation on their energies; she builds her vitality and purpose. And because of their dreams and aspiration, the future of a nation is assured.’’
We need a youthful minister and commissioner for youths, a youth that understands the basic and immediate needs of the youths.And not an old man with grand children, a man who knows nothing about the needs of the youths. Who is only self-centered and after his pocket.We need our own to handle the affairs of the youths.
The world’s youngest leaders hail from across the globe — from democracies, monarchies, and dictatorships in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. While six of them are men, the youngest, Vanessa D’Ambrosio, the 28-year-old captain regent of San Marino is the only woman among the list.Africa takes a back stage as no current leader in the continent is below age of 40.
Here are list of seven current young leaders:
Emmanuel Macron
Born: December 21, 1977 Amiens, France
Age: 39
Country: France
Office: President of France
Declaration date: 14 May 2017
2. Saleh Ali al-Sammad
Born: January 1, 1979, Sahar District
Age: 38
Country: Yemen
Office: President of the Supreme Political Council of Yemen
Declaration Date: August 14, 2016.
.
3. Emil Dimitriev
Born: March 19, 1979, Probištip
Age: 38
Country: Macedonia (FYROM)
Office: Acting Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia
Declaration Date: January 15, 2016
.
4. Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
Born: February 21, 1980, Thimphu, Bhutan
Age: 37
Country: Kingdom of Bhutan
Office: Druk Gyapol (King of Bhutan)
Date Of Coronation: December 9, 2006
5. Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Born: June 3, 1980, Doha, Qatar
Age: 36
Country: Qatar
Office: Emir of Qatar
Coronation Date: June 25, 2013
6. Kim Jong Un
Born: January 8, 1983, Poyoungyang, North Korea
Age: 34
Country: Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Office: Supreme Leader of North Korea
Declaration Date: December 17, 2011.
7. Vanessa D’Ambrosio
Born: April 26, 1988 Serravalle
Age: 29
Country: San Marino, Europe
Office: Captain Regent of San Marino
Declaration Date: April 2017.
That others achieve greatness is a great sign for us that we can
You too can be a political leader of your time before the age of 40, if you are not ready, am ready.
