A large percentage of young people in Nigeria attend Federal and State schools, some don’t even go to school and very few attend private universities. Right now the Academic Staff University Union (ASUU) has an issue with the Federal Government and has closed down all universities in Nigeria because government won’t accede to their request. ASUU wants a 100% increment in salaries and other entitlement. For this reason, young people are forced out of school because there is an issue with ASUU and the Federal Government.

 Nigerian students yearn for good education. We yearn to go back to school and stop being a nuisance at home and in the society. We yearn to go back to school because an idle mind is the devils workshop. We don’t want to be tempted to go into drugs, violence, and sexual immorality. We yearn to go back to school because there is a huge future ahead of us waiting for us to happen.  We want Education.

The sad thing is that a number of these government officials without calling names don’t put their children in Nigerian Universities. Its humiliating for young people to look up to the so called leaders  who can effect a change in their situation do nothing because they are not affected in any way, after all their kids are schooling abroad. Another trend in the political scene is that, some of these government officials put their kids in power or even make their kids replace them and family relatives such that the seat of power now becomes a family affair.

The future of young people in Nigeria is in serious jeopardy and if nobody does something, Nigeria will raise worse leaders than it has now. The social organization will become a breed of ignoramus and riffraff’s. In fact, as it is now the rate of social problems occurring currently in Nigeria has young people as the largest victims. Teenage Pregnancy for instance is increasing daily and I wonder, what happens to the children these teenagers give birth to, what kind of training will they get, what kind of life will they live. If young people are having adult issues, what will they do when they become adults? Our government is not aware that such things as strike even worsen the situation.

Sexual Reproductive Health issues that young people face in Nigeria and even globally is as a result of inadequate education to a very large extent. For example, research shows that lack of education, illiteracy or ignorance has been proven to be a cause for an increase in young people’s sexual reproductive health challenges e.g. STI’s, unwanted pregnancy, abortions and so on. Imagine the rate of young people that could be exposed as a result of idleness, caused by this strike.

Education is one of the most important aspect of a young person’s life which they shouldn’t be deprived of. I am a youth and I know what it feels like not to have adequate education and I don’t just speak for myself but for every young person out there who is affected by the strike.

The Nigerian government is being supported by various International donors and NGO’s to curb various issues that young people face in our country but it seems to me that the government has not prioritized education as a primary need thereby not putting arsenals in place to make the educational system run effectively. Also the abuse of power and resources is creating problems through issues like strike and corruption.   Education cuts across all aspect of a young person’s life especially in the area of their sexual and reproductive health but nobody cares. We have good policies, frame work and resources but the reality of all these things seems to elude our leaders.

I consider myself privileged to an extent when I think about young people in prison, on the streets, at home and in Diaspora. Oh great Nigeria! Protect your future, protect the younger generation.