When Nigeria fought her bloody war— dubbed Biafra War or the Nigerian Civil War depending on who is telling the narrative—it was her youth that prosecuted it. The gladiators were mostly youths: Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Benjamin Adekunle, Victor Banjo, among others. These young officers were in their early thirties when they speared-headed the war that lasted almost three years. And when then military government was to come up with the plan of re-building the nation after the devastating consequences of the war, it was to the nation’s youths that the country’s leadership turned to. To salvage the worsening aftermath of the war therefore, the political leadership of the country immediately turned to the fresh graduates from the tertiary institutions all over the country. This was to give birth to The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

It is in youths the success and the future of any nation or institution lies, basically because of their strength. This strength is not limited to physical strength. It is all-encompassing. It includes mental strength, wit, smartness, and importantly, inner drive and motivation. That inner drive to get things accomplished. That power and motivation that drives on even when failure seems inevitable at inception or mid-way. The power of conception and actualisation. Landmark innovations, novel ideas and ideals! Those are the components of the strength being referred to! Included in that strength is the wisdom to excel in any chosen fields of endeavour, and the wisdom for territorial subjugation and domination—see how Google, Facebook and Nairaland Forum have garnered users exceeding the population of some countries and continents. It is this strength that makes youths prime target of the God-head and the devil. It makes them necessities to the kingdom the God-head and the devil represent exclusively. It is because of this strength that the youths are being lured and enticed with fleeting pleasures. It is because of this strength that the spirit of disobedience seems to be at work in the hearts of many a youth. And the purpose for this is simple: to waste their strength. It is this strength that the evil one wants to reduce to a piece of bread. It is this strength that the devil wants to negotiate for like the porridge-bait negotiation for Esau’s birth right. It is this strength that makes youths soar like the eagle and it is the same ability that has impacted unto them the daring ability that is exceeding unparalleled by any other population group.

It is still in light of the strength of youths that Apostle John addressed a portion of his epistle to them, citing the reason for his action as their strength! This is one of the hallmarks of youths: vigour! And it is this vigour that God wants to harness for His glory. Unfortunately, it is the same vigour that the devil is interested in. It is therefore to whom youths yield their vigour that they will become slaves. In older men and women is this attribute lacking, because they are at the eclipse of their age when depravity of physical strength is inevitable. Small wonder, they dream dreams but youths see visions! Such is the blessedness of the sight of the youth, and it is no competing for because it is the doing and making of the Lord and it is marvellous in our sight! They see visions and run with them. Little wonder they are blessed with strength so that they can run with the vision they see! Not to the youths! It is not to the youths that they will be at ease in Zion. They have got no time for docility, neither is passivity found in them. Diligence is their watchword and they make actualising their visions their ultimate goal.

It is worth knowing that anything youths don’t get involved in has a short-life span. Watch it: prominent, flourishing, and prosperous industries are managed by youths. Name it, from sports to entertainment. They are not wanting on the political scenes either. French and Canadian Presidents are few examples. Didn’t the shame of Israel and the obvious molestation of Israel’s army linger on until 17-year-old David stepped into the scene, brought victory to God’s covenant people, and in the process rose to national prominence and subsequently became the king of Israel?

Whatever it was that God’s wisdom saw in Josiah that he made him king at eight is a pointer to the fact that even pre-teens can be useful vessels in the hands of God. Tender age is no barrier in this regard. When Nebuchadnezzar invaded the land of Israel by the pre-determinate counsel of God, one thing he sought was Israel’s young men. He was selective of the fine ones among them. Probably those who were of scholastic and intellectual capacity. It was the youth internship or educational system of the Babylonian nation that produced the like of Daniel and his friends. Isn’t the saviour of the world a youth even at his death? At 33, he lived a life so pleasing and acceptable before the Father that he delivered the world from their sin and from the hand of their oppressor. By his death, he led captivity captive! At 33! Wow! On Mount Zion shall more saviours arise!

What does one make of the life of Joseph if not a living wonder at 30, who could manage a major global economic crisis at his age and the king found it convenient to adopt the economic blue-print he presented when he interpreted the dream of the king as the perfect solution to the looming economic crises he was warned of in his dream?

We now live in an age that the youths are the teachers and the elderly are the learners. Many a parent learnt how their phones and the social media work through their children. In fact, many of them cannot effectively use the internet unaided. And aren’t the activities for which youths are the principal actors the reason people sit glued to their television sets? Just take football, music and the social media as quick examples. Over 81, 000 spectators will gather around 22 players who are aged between 17 and possibly 38, and the world stands still! That is the extent to which youths can make things happen. It was a youth that stopped the killing of twins in Nigeria. Historical accounts have it that the young Scot, Mary Slessor, was 16 years when she arrived the shores of Nigeria, and her mission has preserved many youths today, including the writer’s mom.

The youth population is larger than any known population group in the world, but how the presidency of this nation and other political positions have eluded them begs the question. They have played vital roles in every election in the country at the national and state levels. However, this role has been limited to political thuggery and election racketing, a role that power-drunk political god-fathers and politicians have fixed them in elections gone-by. It is time youths chat their own cause and determine their political future rather than wait for the empty lofty promise: youths are the leaders of tomorrow. When will the tomorrow arrive is the question that seems to elude one at the moment. At present, the country’s political class has no obvious plan for the Nigerian youths, the mass unemployment is a critical evidence. Another is the quality of education the nation provides for her teeming youths. The earlier this reality dawns on youths, the better. If 2019 will be a better year for this population, the answer lies with them.

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