Feature/OPED
Youth and a Nation That Builds on Weak Foundation
By Jerome-Mario Utomi
Prior to the recent ‘youths revolt’ in the country which got the young Nigerians once described as ‘lazy’ busy on and off the social media platforms and led to alignment and realignment of opinions as well as resulted in the proliferation of leadership related associations, I have had the opportunity to read with rapt attention about the danger of building a nation without the youths, written by some prominent and well foresighted Nigerians on one hand and relatively controversial citizens as well.
It was against this backdrop that this piece stems to among other aims examine and weaves together the spiralling counter, trans, cross opinions by these public affairs commentators particularly as their comments in a larger context, surprisingly points to the fact that as a nation, we are faced with an urgent responsibility of nation-building.
With the above highlighted, let’s focus on specific arguments.
The first school of thought argues that since May 1999, when democracy re-emerged on the nation’s political sphere, only the likes of the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, and former Governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), have been able to emerge state governors at a relatively youthful age.
This they argued is not a sign that Nigerian youths are not matured politically enough to be saddled with critical political positions, but simply because the nation is unfortunately blessed with a huge number of ‘coercive’ and selfish leaders as against truly ‘democratic, pacesetting and coaching’ leaders
Leaders who believe that they are laced with the wisdom of Solomon, feel they are more nationalistic or patriotic than other citizens, yet, cannot accommodate to coach or invite the youths to start learning leadership via a sincere political apprenticeship and do not believe in grooming of the youths. They (leaders) lack the idea of community organizing and are also deficient in emotional intelligence that is needed for providing good governance.
While noting that today, youths lack leadership experience because they have not been given the opportunity to participate and learn what leadership is all about like the Obasanjos and Gowons of this world that had that opportunity at their very youthful stage, these Nigerians with critical minds submitted that Nigeria will continue to build on the weak foundation until the present crop of leaders recognises that naturally, any nation that fails to accommodate its youths, those that will provide the future leadership of the nation, will continue to encounter difficulty in nation-building and national development.
In the same vein, others rued that the inability of Nigerian youths to occupy political or leadership positions in the country, be it elective or appointment should be blamed on the nation’s inglorious departure from politics of ideas to money politics or what is currently referred to as the politics of the highest bidder which the youths have no financial muscles to partake in and, therefore, settled for the easiest option at their disposal which is praise singing or what is referred to as Otinkpu in Igbo local palace.
Responding to the allegation by some that In today’s Nigeria, and in politics, both the adults and the youths in politics are bonded by a common denominator: corruption and abuse of public office, these pro-youth commentators again described such allegation as baseless as corruption knows no age, gender or tribe and is not limited to the youths but cuts across all spectrums.
To further validate their argument in defence of the youth, they pointed out that without the youths in the present government, corruption has become even more entrenched as scandal upon scandal have completely laid bare the anti-corruption stance of this administration and those who were initially deceived by the present government’s alleged fight against corruption has come to the conclusion that nothing has changed.
Whatever the true position may be, in order to take the right part, choose the right values and adopt the right perspectives, there are some facts that need to be underlined about the nation’s leadership imbalance.
First is that in this clime, “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” has become a form of a mantra, a sermon by our leaders that we can describe as gospel without the truth. They preach this without taking pragmatic steps to develop or design strategies that will help it see the light of the day. While the mantra rends the political wavelength, this category of political office holders remains in leadership positions till they are well above 70. It becomes more of a slogan or anthems for the political parties. It lasts as long as the electioneering period and fizzles out as soon as the winners emerge. Youths are never assured again that they are “the leaders of tomorrow” till the next electioneering campaign. And the cycle goes on and on. This has been the grim fate and burden which successive generations of Nigerian youths have grappled with since 1960.
Secondly, the youths that hitherto watched their nation’s political and leadership affairs from the political gallery are, however, beginning to view public office holders’ tales and narrative as one-sided especially when it is coming from our present crop of leaders. It has become a tale that revolves around a particular plot constructed around electioneering, with the sole aim of achieving an electoral victory.
Meanwhile, as a fallout of the above coupled with recent happenings around the world’s political arena as regard emergence of some youthful Presidents occupying exalted positions in their countries have served as an awakening of political and leadership consciousness among Nigerian youths. Heightened youth agitations around the country have become a hot topic for national discourse and have taken the centre stage around the world.
Apart from the just-ended #EndSARS protest, supporting the above assertion is the recently held youth dialogue themed “Towards A Peaceful and Prosperous Plateau” jointly organised by Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI) and Plateau Intelligentsia Development Initiative in Jos, where youths according to media reports, again sought active involvement in governance, deploring the ‘sit-tightism’ of the older generation, whom they argued were “closer to their graves.”,
While the young Nigerians at the event argued that they have untapped fresh ideas to govern the country for “dynamic leadership” to crystallise, they noted that it was time for youths to chart the path for the nation’s greatness, citing instances from both developed and developing countries and submitted that they were not afraid to speak the truth to power.
This time the warning in the opinion of this piece should not be ignored.
This is the time for those who see and understand and care and are willing to work for the progress of this country to internalize the words of Chinua Achebe that true leadership is using knowledge, power and authority to ensure the living standards of the people are improved. And acknowledge that great leaders are characterized by their ability to create positive impacts on the lives of their subjects by the way they place heavy emphasis on the understanding that the economy would look after itself if democracy is protected; human rights adequately are taken care of, and the rule of law strictly adhered to. And their nation’s affairs centrally planned over a period of time with actions spelt out for both normal and contingency conditions.
Finally, aside from leaders identifying that public order, personal and national security, economic and social programmes and prosperity is not the natural order of things but depends on the ceaseless efforts and attention from an honest and effective government that the people elect, it is also imperatively urgent for Nigerian youths to develop a pragmatic collaboration which will represent a set of values that encourage constructive views as well as provide support for leaders with the interests of moving the nation forward.
Jerome-Mario Utomi is the Programme Coordinator (Media and Public Policy), Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), Lagos.
By Luke Kyohere
The global payments landscape is undergoing a rapid transformation. New technologies coupled with the rising demand for seamless, secure, and efficient transactions has spurred on an exciting new era of innovation and growth. With 2025 fast approaching, here are important trends that will shape the future of payments:
1. The rise of real-time payments
Until recently, real-time payments have been used in Africa for cross-border mobile money payments, but less so for traditional payments. We are seeing companies like Mastercard investing in this area, as well as central banks in Africa putting focus on this.
2. Cashless payments will increase
In 2025, we will see the continued acceleration of cashless payments across Africa. B2B payments in particular will also increase. Digital payments began between individuals but are now becoming commonplace for larger corporate transactions.
3. Digital currency will hit mainstream
In the cryptocurrency space, we will see an increase in the use of stablecoins like United States Digital Currency (USDC) and Tether (USDT) which are linked to US dollars. These will come to replace traditional cryptocurrencies as their price point is more stable. This year, many countries will begin preparing for Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), government-backed digital currencies which use blockchain.
The increased uptake of digital currencies reflects the maturity of distributed ledger technology and improved API availability.
4. Increased government oversight
As adoption of digital currencies will increase, governments will also put more focus into monitoring these flows. In particular, this will centre on companies and banks rather than individuals. The goal of this will be to control and occasionally curb runaway foreign exchange (FX) rates.
5. Business leaders buy into AI technology
In 2025, we will see many business leaders buying into AI through respected providers relying on well-researched platforms and huge data sets. Most companies don’t have the budget to invest in their own research and development in AI, so many are now opting to ‘buy’ into the technology rather than ‘build’ it themselves. Moreover, many businesses are concerned about the risks associated with data ownership and accuracy so buying software is another way to avoid this risk.
6. Continued AI Adoption in Payments
In payments, the proliferation of AI will continue to improve user experience and increase security. To detect fraud, AI is used to track patterns and payment flows in real-time. If unusual activity is detected, the technology can be used to flag or even block payments which may be fraudulent.
When it comes to user experience, we will also see AI being used to improve the interface design of payment platforms. The technology will also increasingly be used for translation for international payment platforms.
7. Rise of Super Apps
To get more from their platforms, mobile network operators are building comprehensive service platforms, integrating multiple payment experiences into a single app. This reflects the shift of many users moving from text-based services to mobile apps. Rather than offering a single service, super apps are packing many other services into a single app. For example, apps which may have previously been used primarily for lending, now have options for saving and paying bills.
8. Business strategy shift
Recent major technological changes will force business leaders to focus on much shorter prediction and reaction cycles. Because the rate of change has been unprecedented in the past year, this will force decision-makers to adapt quickly, be decisive and nimble.
As the payments space evolves, businesses, banks, and governments must continually embrace innovation, collaboration, and prioritise customer needs. These efforts build a more inclusive, secure, and efficient payment system that supports local to global economic growth – enabling true financial inclusion across borders.
Luke Kyohere is the Group Chief Product and Innovation Officer at Onafriq
In a heartfelt statement released today, the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has extended its warmest congratulations to Ghana’s President-Elect, emphasizing the importance of learning from Ghana’s recent electoral success as Nigeria gears up for its 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, the CNPP highlighted the need for Nigeria to reclaim its status as a leader in democratic governance in Africa.
“The recent victory of Ghana’s President-Elect is a testament to the maturity and resilience of Ghana’s democracy,” the CNPP stated. “As we celebrate this achievement, we must reflect on the lessons that Nigeria can learn from our West African neighbour.”
The CNPP’s message underscored the significance of free, fair, and credible elections, a standard that Ghana has set and one that Nigeria has previously achieved under former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. “It is high time for Nigeria to reclaim its position as a beacon of democracy in Africa,” the CNPP asserted, calling for a renewed commitment to the electoral process.
Central to CNPP’s message is the insistence that “the will of the people must be supreme in Nigeria’s electoral processes.” The umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria CNPP emphasized the necessity of an electoral system that genuinely reflects the wishes of the Nigerian populace. “We must strive to create an environment where elections are free from manipulation, violence, and intimidation,” the CNPP urged, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take decisive action to ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
The CNPP also expressed concern over premature declarations regarding the 2027 elections, stating, “It is disheartening to note that some individuals are already announcing that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027. This kind of statement not only undermines the democratic principles that our nation holds dear but also distracts from the pressing need for the current administration to earn the trust of the electorate.”
The CNPP viewed the upcoming elections as a pivotal moment for Nigeria. “The 2027 general elections present a unique opportunity for Nigeria to reclaim its position as a leader in democratic governance in Africa,” it remarked. The body called on all stakeholders — including the executive, legislature, judiciary, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and civil society organisations — to collaborate in ensuring that elections are transparent, credible, and reflective of the will of the Nigerian people.
As the most populous African country prepares for the 2027 elections, the CNPP urged all Nigerians to remain vigilant and committed to democratic principles. “We must work together to ensure that our elections are free from violence, intimidation, and manipulation,” the statement stated, reaffirming the CNPP’s commitment to promoting a peaceful and credible electoral process.
In conclusion, the CNPP congratulated the President-Elect of Ghana and the Ghanaian people on their remarkable achievements.
“We look forward to learning from their experience and working together to strengthen democracy in our region,” the CNPP concluded.
By Kenechukwu Aguolu
The proposed tax reform, involving four tax bills introduced by the Federal Government, has received significant criticism. Notably, it was rejected by the Governors’ Forum but was still forwarded to the National Assembly. Unlike the various bold economic decisions made by this government, concessions will likely need to be made on these tax reforms, which involve legislative amendments and therefore cannot be imposed by the executive. This article highlights the purposes of taxation, the qualities of a good tax system, and some of the implications of the proposed tax reforms.
One of the major purposes of taxation is to generate revenue for the government to finance its activities. A good tax system should raise sufficient revenue for the government to fund its operations, and support economic and infrastructural development. For any country to achieve meaningful progress, its tax-to-GDP ratio should be at least 15%. Currently, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio is less than 11%. The proposed tax reforms aim to increase this ratio to 18% within the next three years.
A good tax system should also promote income redistribution and equality by implementing progressive tax policies. In line with this, the proposed tax reforms favour low-income earners. For example, individuals earning less than one million naira annually are exempted from personal income tax. Additionally, essential goods and services such as food, accommodation, and transportation, which constitute a significant portion of household consumption for low- and middle-income groups, are to be exempted from VAT.
In addition to equality, a good tax system should ensure equity and fairness, a key area of contention surrounding the proposed reforms. If implemented, the amendments to the Value Added Tax could lead to a significant reduction in the federal allocation for some states; impairing their ability to finance government operations and development projects. The VAT amendments should be holistically revisited to promote fairness and national unity.
The establishment of a single agency to collect government taxes, the Nigeria Revenue Service, could reduce loopholes that have previously resulted in revenue losses, provided proper controls are put in place. It is logically easier to monitor revenue collection by one agency than by multiple agencies. However, this is not a magical solution. With automation, revenue collection can be seamless whether it is managed by one agency or several, as long as monitoring and accountability measures are implemented effectively.
The proposed tax reforms by the Federal Government are well-intentioned. However, all concerns raised by Nigerians should be looked into, and concessions should be made where necessary. Policies are more effective when they are adapted to suit the unique characteristics of a nation, rather than adopted wholesale. A good tax system should aim to raise sufficient revenue, ensure equitable income distribution, and promote equality, equity, and fairness.
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