POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY - FINAL

Ideally the nations with the most means should have the highest levels of human development. The main cause of insecurity and instability in many African countries is the lack of opportunities for the youths.

 Education gives a child a fighting chance in life. Every child must have access to quality education. It's enablement. Education is the greatest investment a nation can make. It's the strategic route to national development. And it's a long term strategy, leading up to tertiary education.

Basic numeracy and literacy CANNOT be the vision of Africa. It's an under-development agenda. Why must we always aim for the lowest common denominator?! But when kids come out of school they must have jobs. Or we'll have a high youth unemployment rate. That's dangerous! How do we create jobs? To answer that question we might as well ask how NOT to create jobs!

 We shouldn't create jobs by bloating up the civil service with redundant human resources. It's false job creation. And it's costly! It's inefficient and unsustainable. It unduly increases the cost of national administration. The State must nonetheless staff social services adequately. Hospitals, schools, etc must be well resourced. But it is more efficient to create job creators than to seek to create jobs by bloating up the civil service.

 Entrepreneurship development is not an option for nations like Nigeria. Other African nations as well. Youth unemployment is a time bomb- an incubating biological explosive device.

Invariably though, a youth must take his destiny into his own hands. If they won't offer you a job create one for yourself! But entrepreneurship development policy mandates an enabling environment and adequate infrastructure. Aside from power, massive investments must be made in internet connectivity. Internet connectivity is an enabler of dreams for youths. It will unleash their potential, connect them to the global knowledge community, put them on the global economic grid. It will create market opportunities for their creativity. In today's global economy internet connectivity is a utility, a fundamental utility like power and water. We must also have adequate protection of intellectual property. Creativity must be well protected. I'm laying down a few ideas for you to advocate on. A sound venture capital system must be created to finance dreams. Angel investment is needed to get ideas off the ground.
Young men must be trained in entrepreneurship in very practical terms. It can be learned. But a head crammed with visions of money must be mitigated by a heart crammed with nobility and values. Without values such motivated youths will become economic threats to the nation's survival. We must teach Purpose as well. That's a missing piece in our curriculum and it's critical for community sensitivity. An entire policy infrastructure has to be built around youth development agenda- with ministerial portfolio coordination. Now you see why you need to get involved. It's in your enlightened self interest. Join a political party, join an activist group, write the newspapers, publish ideas- your solutions, speak up, vote! Your solutions must be mature: "Let not our proposal be disregarded on the score of our youth" - Virgil.

Our country is our inheritance from God. We must not abdicate responsibility over it. The consequences are dire.


Letter from my Dad and Mentor, Mr Alder.