THE NIGERIAN YOUTH: THE FORCE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
An issue or concern can easily be tackled when it is well conceptualized or understood. We hear and read about the word development in our everyday life, but the truth is development or national development, just like other concepts and phenomena can be better understood when it is experienced. Most of us in Nigeria undoubtedly have not experienced development of a nation or country. Perhaps, the few lucky ones who had travelled out either for pleasure or business to other developed countries will have a clue of what development is all about.
To set the ball rolling, plethora of economists have bombarded us with different definitions of development of which I would not want to weary you with. However, to give us a closer feel of what Economic development is, the definition by Michael Todaro is singled out to do justice to that. The definition of economic development given by Michael Todaro is an increase in living standards, improvement in self-esteem needs and freedom from oppression as well as a greater choice. The most accurate method of measuring development according to him is the Human Development Index which takes into account the literacy rates & life expectancy which affects productivity and could lead to Economic Growth. It also leads to the creation of more opportunities in the sectors of education, healthcare, employment and the conservation of the environment. It implies an increase in the per capita income of every citizen. Development however is concerned with sustainability which means meeting the needs of the present without compromising future needs.
Outstandingly, meaning and objectives of development include the provision of basic human needs, reduction of inequality, raising living standards through appropriate economic growth, improving self-esteem in relation to the developed countries, and expanding opportunities and freedom of choice. With this understanding of development, there is no gainsaying the fact that Nigeria as a nation is still half awake.
The other concept starring at us here is a Youth. Who is a Youth? The United Nations, for statistical consistency across regions, defines ‘youth’, as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States. All UN statistics on youth are based on this definition, as illustrated by the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the United Nations system on demography, education, employment and health.
For activities at the national level, for example when implementing a local community youth programme, “youth” may be understood in a more flexible manner. UNESCO will then adopt the definition of “youth” as used by a particular Member State. It can be based for instance on the definition given in the African Youth Charter where “youth” means “every person between the ages of 15 and 35 years”.
“Youth” is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood’s independence and awareness of our interdependence as members of a community. Youth is a more fluid category than a fixed age-group.
However, age is the easiest way to define this group, particularly in relation to education and employment. Therefore “youth” is often indicated as a person between the age where he/she may leave compulsory education, and the age at which he/she finds his/her first employment. This latter age limit has been increasing, as higher levels of unemployment and the cost of setting up an independent household puts many young people into a prolonged period of dependency. Due to the higher levels of unemployment and the longer time it takes to set up an independent household in Nigeria today, the latter age limit is increasing by leaps and bounds in its eccentricity. Therefore, considering the Nigeria milieu, “youth” means “every person between the age of 15 and 40”.
In general, empirical evidence suggests that productivity tend to follow an inverted U-shaped profile, where significant decreases take place from around 50years of age. An important cause of these age-related productivity declines is likely to be reductions in cognitive abilities across the life span. Some abilities, such as perceptual speed, show relatively large decrements from a young age, while others, like verbal abilities, show only small changes throughout the working life. Although older individuals have longer experience, they learn at a slower pace and have reductions in their memory and reasoning abilities. In particular are senior workers likely to have difficulties in adjusting to new ways of working. ‘Active aging’ policies, intended at increasing labor market participation of older individuals, are encouraged by authorities in most aging economies. The productivity loss associated with early retirement indicates that this emphasis is entirely justified. However, active aging policy programs should take into account that older workers’ compensation tends to exceed their productivity levels, due to seniority-based wage systems. The likelihood that active aging policies will be successful increases with awareness of these issues.