TheCable

Adeolu Akande, chairman of the National Communications Commission (NCC), has urged Nigerian youth to organise themselves for the purpose of providing leadership for the country. 

Akande delivered the keynote address titled ‘Nigerian Development Dilemma: The role of the youths’, at the 53rd convention of Junior Chambers International, Ibadan chapter.

He said the greatest opportunity to contribute to national leadership is for the youths to participate in politics and influence the leadership of the country to fast-track national development.

He explained that the youths constitute over 70 percent of Nigeria’s population, a labour force that could guarantee the development of the nation.

“The country will be blessed if a substantial part of her  population contributes to her development. With over 70 percent of the Nigerian population as youths,the Nigerian youth are well placed to make such contribution,” Akande said.

“It is true that there are challenges hindering the participation of Nigerian youths in politics. However, we cannot continue to agonise. Instead, we should organise and organise to take advantage of our huge population and dynamism as youths to be part of the decision making in the country.

“The youths, therefore, have many channels through which they can contribute to national development. It is through the political process you can make the most impactful contribution to national development.

“You can achieve this through standing for election to provide political leadership, actively participate in the political parties to ensure they produce qualified and reliable persons as candidates, mobilise voters to vote for responsible people and also going out en masse on election days to vote for dependable people at the elections.

“We also have a civic responsibility to put our governments under watch and ensure they live up to our expectation in  their performance.”

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for enacting the ‘Not too Young To Run’ act that expands the opportunities for Nigerian youths to participate more actively in politics while urging the youths to take advantage of the law.