Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said "One of the great liabilities of history is that all too many people fail to remain awake through great periods of social change. Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions.
Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change". Nigeria is known as the giant of Africa for its size, population, and potentials. With above 200 million people, Nigeria has more students than the entire populations of Monaco, Tuvalu, Vatican City, and Qatar combined.
Owing to this number, it suffices to state that Nigerian students have roles to play in shaping the future of the country. The roles of Nigerian students in shaping the future of Nigeria includes channelling their innovations and creativities to salvage the present Nigeria and secure a good future for the country.
Malcolm X famously remarked that “Education is the passport to the future for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today”. The task of securing a future for Nigeria in a world where economy dwindles in a collective one, and as such, all hands, including that of students, must be on deck. Taking a glance at the history of Nigeria, students have always influenced government’s policies and decisions. Quality education fosters innovation which brings progress in every dimension. One of the things Nigeria needs is innovation. Innovation is the ability to come up with new ideas or methods to solving a problem. One of the roles Nigerian students must play is the maximisation of educational resources within and outside the country and use the knowledge acquired to develop the country. It is true that Nigeria has vast oil and gas reserves and is a giant producer of oil; however, Nigeria lacks the innovation to develop its own refineries and this makes it export its own oil to foreign countries for refining. This is one of the root causes of the economic problems Nigeria has as a nation.
To continue this unsustainable policy or not lies in the hands of Nigerian students; to salvage the economy of Nigeria via the introduction of better policies is the task of the country’s future leaders – Nigerian students.
Nigerian students must be able to explore the furthest points of their horizons and be able to come up with ideas and innovations that could transform the country’s economy and foreign policies for better. Quality education and the drive to maximise education are keys to achieving this. Whether locally or foreign trained, a Nigerian is a Nigerian.
The zeal to develop the country should be something all Nigerian students must possess and the line of the National Pledge which says “to serve Nigeria with all my strength” must be made manifest in real life.
It is not only rotation and revolution that make the world go round, technology does too. We live in a world driven by technological innovations and in truth, Nigeria lags behind. For Nigeria to continue to maintain its status in Africa and the world, it must advance its technology. Nigeria’s future should be marked by advancement in technology and science and this rests on the shoulders of Nigerian students. Nigerian higher institutions are training grounds for such networking and training. Nigerian students must absorb the training and come up with technological equipment that would advance the country and make it match other countries in technological race.
In a country like Nigeria where the older generation is likely not able to fully capture or solve the crisis in the country with the power of the state, Nigerian politicians should aim at the unification of people within the country so that it remains politically stable and viable in the long run. Nigerian higher institutions especially have Students’ Union Governments (SUGs) are like demo platforms for leadership training in government and administration. SUGs and other student-leadership-oriented associations are true tests of leadership; they prepare the minds of students to take up leadership positions in real-time government. There is a lack of charisma in the political space; this lacuna is that which Nigerian students must fill adequately. For this to happen, Nigerian students must actively engage in this training and make sure they are constantly engaged in the business of thinking. This will facilitate their abilities to come up with innovative ideas that could transform the political setting of Nigeria and give it the restructuring it needs.
In conclusion, it is the opinion of this essay Nigerian students have roles to play at every dimension that relates to shaping the future of Nigeria. Nigeria is a country with great potentials but lacks in various things which can be attributed to the deficiencies in leadership. This essay recommends that in the race of reshaping the future of Nigeria, Nigerian students who are heirs of the nation’s future, must be able to dispense their creativity, innovation, and charisma and channel their energy and resources towards expunging corruption from the country and bettering it for the benefit of all. Nigerian students must be able to utilise all possible means to come up with technological innovations that would change the world positively and better Nigeria’s economy. In the same vein, patriotism and positive ambassadorship are key to sustaining this goal. The love of Nigeria should supersede any other thing and the drive to secure a good future for the country should be the goal of Nigerian students.
Abiodun Peter Ekundayo. 1st Runner up, NASELS SOUTHWEST Essay Competition
Email address: ekundayo195@gmail.com
Telephone no: 09071549138, 08148815442
Institution of study : Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti
Level of study : 300l
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