Conference
Dr Olakunle Soriyan, a U.S.-based author, has urged Nigerian youths to take responsibility for their future by building their capacity and preparing themselves for the challenges ahead.
Soriyan gave the advice while delivering the keynote address at the third annual conference of the Unveiling and Rebranding Nigeria Initiative (URNI), themed “Rise Up Patriots”, on Saturday in Abuja.
He said young Nigerians must understand that their future largely depended on the decisions they made and their willingness to take responsibility for the consequences.
“Nigeria is built to make you do the needful. If you choose not to go to school, the decision and consequences are all yours,” he said.
Soriyan added that upon attaining the age of 18, individuals should no longer depend on entitlement but focus on developing their capacity to succeed.
“When you reach 18 years, you have lost all rights to entitlement to any system. That is why I believe parenting ends at 18.
“So, the best thing you can do for yourself is to build your capacity,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ambassador Hassan Tukur, MFR, a Patron of URNI, also urged Nigerians to shift their attention from merely discussing the country’s challenges to taking practical steps towards making it better.
Tukur, represented by Ambassador Jamil Waziri, said national development required more than expressing opinions and sharing messages on social media.
He commended URNI for organising the conference, stressing the need for citizens to translate their concerns about Nigeria into meaningful actions.
“Nigerians are not short of opinions about developing Nigeria, but these opinions are only shared on WhatsApp daily.
“We must do more than sharing messages online. We should choose one task within our reach daily to make Nigeria better. That is how countries develop,” he said.
Also speaking, award-winning broadcast journalist, Seun Okinbaloye, urged Nigerians to take active interest in holding public office holders accountable.
Okinbaloye said accountability should not be left to journalists alone, adding that citizens at all levels had a responsibility to ask questions and demand explanations from their leaders.
“We should not leave accountability to only journalists. The market woman should ask questions about market levies, while communities should ask why their clinics are not functioning,” he said.
He urged citizens to identify their elected representatives, follow up on abandoned projects and make their voices heard on issues affecting their communities.
Similarly, SP Orvenonne Ikwen, Coordinator, Police Campaign Against Cultism and Other Vices (POCACOV), advised youths to shun drugs, cultism and political thuggery.
He urged young people to resist peer pressure and embrace responsible citizenship to safeguard their future.
The conference attracted students from Nasarawa State University, Keffi; University of Abuja and Veritas University, Abuja.
NAN reports that the event ended with a musical performance by veteran Nigerian singer, Daddy Showkey.(NAN)
