Olabisi Alausa
A former Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Bamitale Omole, has said that for Nigerian youths to become relevant in nation building and national development, there is a need to invest in quality education that enhances analytical and critical thinking.
The former VC said this in a lecture titled, “Where Have The Youths Gone?” at the Founder’s Day and matriculation ceremony of Caleb University, Lagos.
Omole said quality education encompassed entrepreneurship skills that would make the youths more flexible, innovative and adaptable to the demand of knowledge economy of the 21st century.
This, he said, was necessary for them to be mentally, politically and intellectually positioned to be able to critically analyse, question, dissect and put in proper perspectives, discourse on national
issues.
“As a result of the intellectual lethargy, indifference and ignorance of the present day, many of the youths allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction and catalyst for national disintegration, thereby stalling the rebirth of a great new nation of our dreams,” he said.
Omole added that it was clear that when youths, through the instrumentality of quality education, inculcation of good value orientation and global exposure, became conscious and discerning, it would be easier for them to know the difference between nation building, national development, destructive political cleavages and selfish interests of the political elites, who use them for selfish political ends.
He, however, said for the Nigerian youth to be veritable building blocks that a new nation could stand upon, they must abstain from criminal activities.
He stressed, “After all, it is said that whoever wants to come to equity, must come with clean hands. Our youths should always be conscious of the fact that whatever they do or refuse to do today will have a great impact in shaping their destiny and that of the
nation.
“It is, therefore, the responsibility of the youths to ask questions because their ability or inability to hold the leaders accountable will determine the realisation or death of their generational missions and dreams.”
To this extent, Omole said the youth should use their education, exposure and energy to ensure that leadership of the country was made accountable and transparent in the way the country is run.
To entrench quality education in the system, the don said the demands of the 21st Century for any nation were creativity and integration of knowledge and research at a global level.
According to him, rapid social changes are presently creating uncertainty and complexity in the
society.
He, however, noted, “There is a need to rethink the whole concept of formal education in Nigeria. Secondly, for Nigerian youths to be useful and relevant as agent of nation building, our stuffy, obsolete and totally antiquated curricular need to be redesigned and updated to meet the rapidly changing innovations at the global level.
“Thirdly, the method of pedagogy and our textbooks should be in sync with international standards for the potential of our youths to be harnessed for global
competition.”
He harped on the need for policy makers to provide necessary incentives to those who were desirous of equipping youths with sound moral values and quality education for them to live up to their potential in nation-building.
