Opinion: The role of the youth in birthing Africa’s future

by Ayomide Atitebi

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Consequently, young Africans must begin to take up the responsibility of builders working with imagination, deep insights and courage. We must work with the force of purposefulness and agreement with a superior cause.

All over the world, there is an urgent,passionate  cry for change! A far-reaching cry projecting forth like a volcanic eruption in some  undulating hills of arrant stagnancy requesting meaningful mobility. From the Middle Eastern nations  to the post-modern western world; from the top of Kilimanjaro to the highest point in the Cape Town Table Mountain; across the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Pacific,all over the world, there is a cry for change!

The generations of younger people in  very  many countries in  other continents of  the world, appear to have responded timeously and quite younger generation in the United States and other notable parts of the world, are already  dominating the globe with outstanding new products and hitherto unimaginable services which have radically changed the way we all live.

Little wonder hence today, that billions and even more people, relating from across inter-related  divides and practically disjointed boundaries connect with one another via such media as Google, Yahoo mails, BlackBerry Messenger, Twitter, Facebook, Skype and of course,the ever-cheap 2go, with no insult intended! All of these massive  innovations in science and technology are without any modicum of doubt,the “little” babies of Non-African nations, resilient and unrepentantly confrontational to fashion  out further answers to the multi-dimensional questions of the future.

But as it would appear, there is manifestly and undoubtedly little or nothing however,that one can boisterously  speak of as being distinctly of African origin with a global recognition that is radically also changing the world and indeed,the way we live! Well, perhaps “Azonto” or “Kukere”: transient dances, though demanding metallic joules of energy,skills and precision! But,I am talking about something intrinsically useful, indispensably impactful, and conspicuosly laudable!

With the above  shocking but true reality, one is immediately upon a deeper  reflection, struck like an African thunderstorm, with the pertinent  question of whether it can be rightly said, that Africa, our dear Africa, is incurably suffering from a malignant tumor of brain drain,symptomatic of long uselessness, or what exactly is the trouble  with her? In a narrower  intellectual observation, it means therefore, that something terrifically vital is dangerously missing in the body polity and general system of the continent! There is a missing item; a component that urgently begs for serious fixing if Africa is really to  declare her prominence in the future of the world!

A glistening global map now exists-trends, which in the language of the professionals, is the path  unto development, through which nations of the world are to collectively but much more individually tread, in the delivering of the future. It is this beating realization that has inspired the young people of the Asian nations, the zealous youth of the Middle East and the ever tenacious young generation of the West to find their roles by  standing up to the responsibility of fixing their nations not simply for the sake of the present,but more importantly, for the benefit of the future!

Where hence, lies the future of Africa? With young people utterly being consumed by the fiercely destructive fire of the get-rich-quick-syndrome which leaves all reputation punctured and integrity ruptured, with young Africans sacrificing their beautiful potentials to the contumacious demons of greed,passiveness and despicable formlessness on retrogressive altars, with young generations of Africa accepting the contraptions of the past of developed continents and celebrating mediocrity with complacency,what please, is the African future?

I believe much as Dr. Victor King believes, that Africa’s transformation will therefore  be anchored on discovering and developing a new generation of young, selfless leaders who are intensely driven by innovation and passionate resolution to create value. You and me!

A generation of young Africans who will  discover their individual roles early enough to reform  the African structure and the re-writing of her battered history! The continent’s missing component therefore,is young visionary leadership that will create a future path for the continent and bring world-class development to her shores.”Visionary leadership is the core foundation for developing great nations and the dynamic requirement for growing great organizations.”

Consequently, young Africans must begin to take up the responsibility of builders working with imagination, deep insights and courage. We must work with the force of purposefulness and agreement with a superior cause. Young Africans need necessarily concentrate their gaze on the horizon and not merely on what is visible at the moment.We must become social innovators and impacts drafters,seeing the clear picture and thinking strategically! It’s a movement of resilient change agents and hope restorers.

But it lies in us all to accept this responsibility by arising to make the most use of our abilities and creating values.It lies in us to look deep into ourselves and see what adjustments we can make for history has nothing to offer those who have nothing to offer it.

The future of Africa is in our hands and the best moments are yet to come.It is time to take up the challenge and cause a radical change as we embark upon a journey of greatness towards the future. But ours is a race against time. Time is running out!

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Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.

 

One comment

  1. Africa is moving forward and with it are young, bright and innovative people who are positioning themselves to take a creative, critical and concrete role in its development. Young Africans in the continent and the diaspora can play a crucial role in shaping the future.

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