General
Nigeria’s Youth Still Face Growing Challenges—Zopmal
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. It has approximately 210 million population. Nigeria has the third-largest youth population in the world, after China and India, with more than 90 million of its population under the age of 18.
While this is considered as a huge human resource, the youth also face unprecedented challenges including growing unemployment and insecurity resulting from ethnic conflicts.
As Nigeria is persistently engulfed with so many challenges and problems, it requires a systematic well-defined approach in order to overcome them and make way for a peaceful and promising future for the youth.
Retaining well-trained professionals has been identified as one of the goals of the government. The current situation still makes the future bleak for the majority of them. Some say there is hope on the horizon, only if economic policies generate needed employment, youth policies backed by adequate funds by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In this interview, Kester Kenn Klomegah met with the former candidate of the Social Democratic Party (2019) for House of Representatives and now the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, Mr Emmanuel Zopmal, where he talks about the current situation, the challenges and the way forward.
Here are the interview excerpts:
Why the youth are showing increasing signs of frustration these few years especially those in the middle belt region of Nigeria?
That is very interesting. I would say that frustration, in any way, is part of human life. It could come at any time. There are conditions that make someone to be under frustration. In this instance, a harsh situation or condition one faces in life without a sign of overcoming it. This makes a person frustrated. It usually comes with worry over a certain particular situation.
In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Middle Belt is a region that has been under immense pressure from politics and economy. Then the socio-cultural condition has also influenced our lives. The worse now is the high insecurity existing in the country. These factors are, indeed, contributing to the frustration perception we’re talking about here. You can imagine a society of people facing these forms of structural violence for these several years and there is no sign of overcoming these situations.
In your objective assessment, what has contributed to the growing unemployment in the country, considered as the Giant of Africa?
Unemployment is an economic index. It can be relative in nature. People are employed in the formal or informal economy. The extent to which people need to live an average life with an appreciable level of income that can provide for basic needs should be the major concern of the unemployment index. Unemployment perception varies as well. For example, there are two categories, those in the public sector and those in private.
Growing unemployment index can be attributed to mismanagement of the economy. The economy of every country determines how the country is structured, administered and managed for the benefit of the broad majority of the population. Without this, a country will definitely face a high unemployment rate.
Secondly, the system of education plays a role here, the most important aspects that contribute to unemployment perception index. Innovative education produces a high quality of graduates who can create jobs. The standard of education should not be conservative. Research and public policy on education help to get out of this problem often referred to as unemployment.
Frankly speaking, it is difficult to understand why Nigeria claims the Giant of Africa. Perhaps, this claim is only by its huge population. Besides that, Nigeria is not a Giant of Africa.
What are your views about the policies of the federal administration in addressing problems of the youth, especially young graduates?
If the government focuses on research and policy, it will help in addressing the problems of youth. Anyway, one cannot actually measure what are the real problems of the youth, especially young graduates. As earlier mentioned, programs such as innovative education will help graduates to overcome employment challenges. Of course, innovation comes through talent or through research. This development can bring changes in the status quo. People will have access to new ways of doing things that help their lives.
Does the current constitution adequately guarantee the youth’s welfare? What are the pitfalls in the implementation of aspects of the Constitution that connect or relate with youth?
Unfortunately, I look at welfare as benevolence. It makes the younger generation too dependent and unproductive since the government provides their welfare. Youth empowerment should simply be a question of policy, not constitution. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution only provided policy, the issue of youth is not mentioned. It talks only about the welfare of the “citizens” in the country. In my candid view, the capacity of education and skillset of the youth should be the welfare package of our government.
As a former candidate of the Social Democratic Party (2019) for House of Representatives, do you still press for youth issues?
In the African context, I am still among the youth. Youth is my major constituency. As a former presidential candidate of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (2015), I had my youth policy programs as the key manifesto. I will continue to press for youth’s political participation, contemporary educational standard, skillset, and empowerment.
And now as the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, what do you consider as the main challenges and the way forward for the youth in Nigeria?
At the moment, the future of our youth must be secured by curbing the ravaging insecurity in the country. With the current rampant insecurity, we cannot move forward. Secondly, the attitude of growing nepotism by government officials in public offices, this culture is bad for our youth. It has to be checked in order not to transfer it to the youth. Government has to take the youth as its national priority. Deliberate policy programs in technological advancement will open up the new horizon for the youth. The youth have to be fully engaged in meaningful activities.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has confirmed that a collision between vessels in the Bonny Channel, Rivers State, led to oil pollution in the affected area.
The agency’s Deputy Director and Head of Public Relations, Mr Osagie Edward, disclosed this in a statement, noting that the Deep Blue Forward Operating Base in Bonny received a distress call at about 11:30 a.m. regarding the collision.
He said the incident involved MV Valparaiso, a Singapore-flagged container vessel with IMO Number 9433054, and MT Lady Martina, a Nigerian-flagged oil products tanker.
According to the statement, the Deep Blue Base immediately deployed 10 armed personnel aboard the interceptor boat DB 214 to the scene.
The agency said five crew members aboard MT Lady Martina sustained varying degrees of injuries during the incident.
The spokesperson said the injured crew members were evacuated to the Forward Operating Base sickbay in Bonny for immediate medical treatment.
“Following the collision, MT Lady Martina drifted ashore and is currently aground along the Bonny Channel.
“MV Valparaiso also remains grounded at the Bonny Inner Anchorage pending damage assessment and further investigation,” Edward said.
He said the management of MAERSK had officially reported the incident to the agency.
Mr Edward said the Director-General of NIMASA, Mr Dayo Mobereola, had ordered a full investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the collision.
He added that NIMASA had established a Situation Monitoring Room to coordinate emergency response efforts and monitor developments from the incident.
Mr Mobereola had personally visited Rivers to inaugurate the monitoring room and oversee response operations in the state.
The Director-General also directed the agency’s Marine Environment Management Department to begin an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the affected area immediately.
Mr Mobereola urged officials to take necessary measures to mitigate the impact of the Tier One oil sheen and safeguard the marine environment.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Some counterfeit, expired, and unwholesome products worth over N1.8 billion have been destroyed by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) in Abuja.
The agency, in a statement on Friday, disclosed that the items were destroyed by fire at the Kuje dumpsite in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The destruction exercise involved the incineration of counterfeit medicines, banned sachet alcohol, expired pharmaceuticals, fake chemicals and other unsafe products seized across Abuja and surrounding areas, including items voluntarily submitted by companies, NGOs, and the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN).
According to NAFDAC, this action demonstrates its commitment to ensuring that seized products do not re-enter circulation. It also reaffirms its commitment to enforcing the ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml, warning that enforcement actions and prosecution will extend to traders found in possession of such products.
Speaking during the exercise, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, represented by the Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Mr Martins Iluyomade, warned that counterfeit drug syndicates now deploy sophisticated cloning techniques to imitate genuine products, making it increasingly difficult for consumers to identify fake items.
She disclosed that the organisation recently intercepted several containers of suspicious products falsely declared to evade detection at the ports, stressing the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration and public vigilance.
The DG urged Nigerians to avoid patronising suspiciously cheap medicines and other regulated products, and to report suspicious activities to the nearest NAFDAC office or the NAFDAC Call Centre.
By Adedapo Adesanya
President Bola Tinubu has commended the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for dismantling a sophisticated Nigerian-Mexican drug syndicate and uncovering a multi-million-dollar illicit drug production network operating in the country.
The President’s message was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga.
The NDLEA Chairman, Mr Mohammed Buba Marwa, had on Wednesday announced the breakthrough following a major operation carried out by the agency in collaboration with international partners after weeks of intelligence gathering and strategic planning.
According to President Tinubu, the operation, which led to the arrest of foreign nationals, local drug kingpins, and other collaborators, as well as the seizure of illicit drugs and chemicals valued at over $360 million, reflects the professionalism and commitment of the anti-narcotics agency.
“This successful operation, which led to the arrest of foreign nationals, local kingpins and other collaborators, as well as the seizure of chemicals and illicit drugs valued at over $360 million, demonstrates exceptional professionalism, courage, and unwavering commitment to safeguarding society from the devastating effects of narcotics,” the President said.
He praised the courage, resilience, and dedication displayed by NDLEA operatives during the operation and urged the agency not to relent in the fight against drug trafficking.
He warned that West Africa has increasingly become a major transit hub for cocaine, synthetic drugs, and unregulated pharmaceuticals being trafficked to Europe and North America.
According to him, beyond posing serious security threats, the drug trade is also destroying the future of many young people across the region.
The President also called on Nigerians to support the fight against illicit drugs by remaining vigilant and reporting suspicious activities to security agencies.
“I call on all Nigerians to see the fight against illicit drugs not NDLEA’s alone. Everyone has a role to play. We must remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities within our communities to assist security agencies in combating criminal networks,” he stated.
President Tinubu added that the successful operation sends a strong warning to criminal networks that organised crime and other threats to public safety will not be tolerated anywhere in the country.
“This landmark success is a strong message that our security agencies will not tolerate organised crime and criminality anywhere in the country, and that those who threaten public safety and national security will face the wrath of the law,” he said.
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