WHO IS RUNNING THE FUTURE?: How Nigeria Uses Its Youth vs How Developed Nations Do

By Comrade Kunle Sodipo anipr

_Ogun State, Nigeria based Public Affairs Analyst and Security Strategist_
31 July, 2026
kdrexafricanchild@gmail.com

If a nation is a house, then the youth are the foundation.
So here’s the uncomfortable question:

*Why are other countries building skyscrapers with their youth, while Nigeria is still using ours to carry cement?*

*1. AGE OF POWER: WHO GETS THE SEAT?*
In developed nations, power is not waiting for grey hair.
Finland had a Prime Minister at 34. France had a President at 39. In the UK, US, and Canada, 30-somethings run ministries, sit in parliament, and lead global companies.

In Nigeria? “Youth” in government often means 45. “SA on Youth” is 50.
The average Minister, Governor, and Senator is 55+.
We tell a 28-year-old with a first-class degree and 2 startups: _”Go and wait your turn.”_
By the time the “turn” comes at 65, the ideas are tired.

*2. THE ROLE: DECISION MAKERS OR DOOR OPENERS?*
In Germany, Estonia, and Singapore, youths are given real ministries: Digital Economy, Climate, Innovation, Tech. They draft budgets. They sign policies. They are trusted with the nation’s future.

In Nigeria, we give youth 3 roles:
*Mobilizer.* *Social Media Defender.* *PA to Oga.*
We call them “Youth Leaders” but we don’t let them lead anything except a crowd during campaign.
We use their energy to win elections, then we tell them to go back and wait.

*3. HOW THEY’RE USED: FOR IDEAS OR FOR CHAOS?*
Developed nations invest in youth. They fund startups, give grants, create internship-to-parliament pipelines. They use youth to solve problems.

Nigeria uses youth mostly 3 months to election.
We use them to trend hashtags, abuse opponents, carry banners, and sometimes, to do the dirty work of politics.
After election, the WhatsApp group is muted. The allowance stops.
We turned our smartest generation into political mercenaries.

*4. PREPARATION: MENTORSHIP OR MANIPULATION?*
Abroad, leadership is built. From age 20, young people are in internships, shadowing MPs, running city councils. It’s about merit and track record.

Here, leadership is inherited. It’s about loyalty, godfatherism, and “who you know.”
We don’t groom. We don’t mentor. We just say _”Na your turn go reach.”_
So our best brains leave. Japa. And build other nations.

*THE GOOD: WHERE NIGERIAN YOUTH ARE WINNING ANYWAY*
Despite the system, Nigerian youth are not sleeping.

1. *Tech*: Flutterwave, Paystack, Andela. Built by 30-somethings. Competing globally.
2. *Activism*: #EndSARS showed we can organize, fund, and lead a national movement in 7 days.
3. *Politics*: We now have a few Commissioners and Reps in their 30s. Small wins, but proof it can be done.

The talent is here. The problem is not the youth. The problem is how we use them.

*THE BAD: THE COST OF WASTING THEM*
1. *Tokenism*: One “Youth Commissioner” in a cabinet of 24. One “Ministry of Youth” with no real budget. Just to take pictures.
2. *Thuggery as a Career Path*: The easiest political job for a young man is violence. No training. No future.
3. *Cash-for-Crowd*: We pay youth to defend policies they don’t understand, for leaders they will never meet.
4. *Brain Drain*: We are exporting our engineers, doctors, and designers because we refused to use them at home.

*THE HARD TRUTH*
Developed nations don’t have fewer problems.
What they have is *young people in the room where the future is decided.*

When a 34-year-old leads a country’s COVID response, she thinks differently.
When a 29-year-old builds a country’s digital ID, the whole nation goes paperless.

In Nigeria, we are making policies about TikTok, AI, and crypto with people who still print every email.
We are planning 2030 with people who will not be here to live in it.

*CONCLUSION: CHOOSE THE FUTURE, OR LOSE IT*
Nigeria’s median age is 18.
Germany’s is 45.

We have energy. They have experience.
But they are combining both. We are asking our energy to “go and wait.”

A nation that does not put its youth in charge of the future will not have a future.

So the choice is ours:
Keep using youth to hold umbrellas.
Or start using them to hold portfolios.

One path leads to Japa.
The other leads to greatness.

_Who do we want to hand Nigeria over to in 2030?
The youth we are training today, or the youth we are ignoring today?_

*#NotTooYoungToLead #UseOurYouth #Nigeria2030*

Feedback: kdrexafricanchild@gmail.com