OSCA WOVEN WORDS COMPETITION – ADEYEMO FISAYO WASILAT

“Imagination gives birth to things unknown but the writer’s pen turns them into shapes and gives to them living breaths.”

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The 2018 OSCA WOVEN WORDS COMPETITION was organized by My Woven Words  and it was only for undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Osun State as approved by the ministry of education, Osun state. There were Terms and Conditions for contestants.

OSCA Woven Words Competition remains the “first-of-its-kind” and “one-of-its-kind” in Osun state, Nigeria. To avoid Conflicts of Interest, we reached out to a number of unbiased scholars in a university outside Osun State to assess the submitted manuscripts and select the best contestants. All the contestant got a certificate of participation and some of the submitted manuscripts were selected for online publication.

TOPIC: The Tenacity of Nigerian Youths in National Development and Leadership Roles.

Youths according to Nigeria constitution are individuals between ages 18-35. In Nigeria, as at 2012 we had 167 million people and Nigerian youths makes up about half of the population. Without doubts, youthful exuberance, inventiveness, creativity and orientation is a great determinant towards development of a country. Hence, the youths contribution to a nation’s growth cannot be overemphasised. In the subsequent paragraphs, the topic will be discussed as two entities; tenacity of Nigerian youths in national development and tenacity of Nigerian youths in leadership roles respectively.

  In Nigeria today, we have over 54% of our youths unemployed which is the greatest challenge faced by youths which has become a threat to national security and nation’s growth. The ratio of unemployed youths in Nigeria is at an alarming rate, hence, too many idle hands and idle hands they say, is the devil’s workshop, thus, causing an increase in youth delinquency. So many nefarious activities, the likes of online swindling, hooliganism, cultism, to mention a few, have youths at their forefronts.

   Also, the trend of rural-urban migration by youths has reduced the capacity of agricultural sector to aid our economy, this could be said to be the result of get-rich-quick syndrome. So many youths have the desire of building mansions, buying limousines and acquiring stupendous wealth overnight. Who would see our politicians display the kind of opulence and luxury accompanying their office and won’t be tempted?.

   According to a source, Nigeria is 4% in terms of entrepreneurship development. We are in a country where we lack standard infrastructures which is an important factor for business to take great strides in success. Problems faced by business owners are: unstable power supply, regulatory areas of starting a business; construction permit, registering property and enforcing contracts among others.

   Lastly, the tenacity of youths in leadership roles will be critically analysed. Youths have always been routedas “future leaders”, whereas, we have our leadership cadre filled with aged politicians . The politicians hypnotise the youths with the slogan, “Youths are leaders of tomorrow”, whereas, everyday is today and tomorrow never comes.

    In Nigeria, the youths during the pre-independence era played outstanding roles in politics, economy, to mention a few; apart from Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe who was 42years, most of the key players during struggle for independence were in their mid-thirties and they played remarkable roles in laying solid foundation. But today, the story is no longer the same as youths in the present time have come under severe encumbrances which may keep the concept of youths as future leaders a dream never come true.

    In a society where our leaders are not insightful, I must say “our youths are neither greedy nor lazy, but merely desperate to survive in a society that never planned for them”.

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Thanks a million!