Nigeria Content Online

I
read each line of Ayo Obe’s article in last Sunday’s edition of NEXT with
alarm. That’s no melodrama. Literally, every line increased my alarm. What
exactly was she saying? Why exactly was she saying this? What exactly was the
significance?

Even
with the gratuitous ridiculing of the word youth (‘yoot’, she called it), there
was a brittle condescension for the whole idea of young people demanding that
their voices be heard and that their interests be protected in this
dispensation.

The
article evidently sought to deconstruct the youth movement – starting from an
attack on the whole premise of a youth bulge. Ms. Obe spent a good part of the
article making it clear what little regard she has for the globally-recognised
reality that the youth population is now the biggest demographic.

In
doing this, she set up a false contrast between the demands of youth
campaigners and women campaigners. Yet the argument fell flat – because, at the
end of the day you went away wondering what exactly was said, and what its
purport was.

I
say this because, at the end of the treatise, I still had no sense of what was
being said – all I was left with was one statement that was clear, one clear
knowledge gap (youth is defined 18 – 35, not 18 – 24, in our context) and a
bucket full of innuendo. The suggestions, however, were both disingenuous and
dangerous – as was the one definite statement that she made.

The
statement: that the present band of
youth activists and campaigners for youth involvement in elections and
governance feel “entitled”.

Wow.

I
am almost speechless. Almost speechless, because, more than any cadre of youth
activists in nations across the world, ours has been one of the most reserved.
This has been a season where youth groups have gone out of their way to
denounce student-activist-style engagement, have insisted on denouncing
violence in any form, opened up channels of communication, deepened
partnerships with other stakeholders, and built durable networks across. In
addition, many youth campaigns have gone out of their way to note that their
interests and issues are identical to those of the larger population.

Even
better, this cadre of young activists has been ready to invest money, sweat and
time. On the streets, they have campaigned under the sun and under the rain; to
raise money, they have worked hard without public appeal or sometimes funding;
and they have managed to build socially-sustainable platforms – especially
technological – that are responsible models of social investment.

So,
what exactly is the cause for disrespect?

Considering
that Ms. Obe is herself a near-legend in terms of activism, and one of those
that loudly demanded their entitlement under military regimes and made the
country uncomfortable for those who didn’t accede to their driven interest, it
is important to ask Ms. Obe what exactly about the success of this movement she
is upset with: the fact that it exists or the fact that it is successful?

Or
the fact (gasp) that it seems to have left a generation of activists behind –
abandoning old tools and resources and building entirely new systems of
activism and engagement?

I
have heard plenty of the ‘oh this is the elite youth speaking’ argument and can
only shake my head. And what exactly is the problem with educated and connected
youth making their voices heard? Is an engaged and aware elite youth population
not eminently more desirable than an ignorant and disengaged one?

If
young people on Twitter, Facebook and Blackberries are actively interested in
the state of their nation, is the fact of their numerical minority enough to
discredit their importance?

The
reality is that nothing is to be gained in this rather curious attempt to
belittle the campaign for the young to be heard and be relevant. And,
unfortunately, like the kinds of Malcolm Gladwell who have taken it upon
themselves to battle social media relevance because they simply don’t
understand it, anyone who seeks to ridicule or undermine the emerging power of
youth in any area of Nigerian life – from brand marketing to governance – is
wasting time.

But,
above all, the most relevant question is this: why would you want to waste your
time fighting the spectre of an enlightened and empowered youth population
willing to change their country? Pray tell, what really is the redeeming
quality in that fruitless battle?

Click here to read Ayo Obe’s original piece.