THE NEXT DESTINATION
Waiting at the lobby of the UAE Application Center in Abuja
where I was quietly seated, it dawned on me that I have simply spent four hours
of my life waiting. You could easily hear chatting and mumblings just like it
was a bar. During such waits, alliances are formed and different stories being
shared. Then it struck me like a bullet from an AK47, ‘the quality of intellect
and youthful energy being exported out of Nigeria’.
With the air condition blowing low temperature at high-speed
and seats arranged for about 140 people; the UAE application center management has
put in their best to make their ‘customers’ comfortable. Yes, I said customers
because migration process is big business.
On this faithful day I can estimate we were not less than 200
seated in the hall as people were standing and several were still waiting
outside to come in. Each applicant would have committed a minimum of 18,000
naira to the U.A.E Government with some paying as high as 48,000 or 66,000
depending on the service required from the consulate.
This is my concern, Everyone of those in the room was young
and full of energy, intelligent, full of zest and willing to work to support
themselves and their family. A good percentage seems to me to be graduates, well
educated and streetwise. By every standard of living their circumstance should
earn them a good life in Nigeria but NO; the future of Nigeria is on survival
mode and looking to go seek greener pasture.
In their eyes I see lost hope for their father land, I see
people with vision and aspiration looking for a platform to raise a little capital
to jump start life. I sense a good number of them are potential bread winners
willing to risk all it takes to make their family better. It is a tale of a
generation let down by the government. Above all I see frustrated men who are
by no means lazy but are pushed to the wall and only asking for an opportunity
to survive on basics of life.
The potential loss of human capital to this economic cannot
be quantified. Our future leaders are being enslaved in foreign land doing
menial jobs yet they are perceived as lazy.
Developed countries are smart enough to easily grant visas to
our young professionals; the rate at which doctors are relocating, I wonder who
will take care of the sick. I also know a number of young men who have
successfully relocated their family abroad. In short, the human capital deficit
keeps getting wider and if not fixed urgently will boomerang in the near
future.
Nigerian youths are not lazy and are willing to take risks;
all we need is a platform for expression. The government really needs to wake
up and tackle this looming disaster. There should be deliberate effort to engage
youths and channel their energy in the right direction; creating employment
opportunities, promoting entrepreneurship and strive to protect the future of
this nation.
Nigeria has successfully failed in leadership succession and
that is why we progressively hand over to mere elderly ones. The elders have
neglected the youth and the youth are being driven to slavery and this must
stop.
My Suggestions
· Create
a healthy environment for SMEs development.
· Give
the youth hope through implementation of viable policies.
· Grant
equal opportunities and stop devising propaganda's along religious and ethnicity
line.
·
Awareness
should be made to encourage people to travel for the right reasons.
·
A
program should be initiated that will encourage youths in diasporas to come
home to invest and share knowledge.
We the
youths are no longer the leaders of tomorrow, we are the leaders of today.
OGEDENGBE
OLUSEGUN (N01)
08060550581
picture source: google
Comments
Post a Comment