YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INCLUSION OF YOUTHS IN POLITICS: A PANACEA TO SOCIAL VICES AND POLITICAL APATHY.
By Shadare Oluwasemilore Enoch CONTRIBUTOR (Opinions expressed by YOH contributors are their own.)
INTRODUCTION.
“Every single person I know who is successful at what they do is successful because they love doing it”. Again, “If you ever think you’re too small to be effective, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito”. These are the words of Joe Penna and Wendy Schaetzel Lesko respectively.
White-collar jobs are not meant for everyone. The earlier this is realized, the better. The words of Wendy Lesko above can aptly be described as a notorious disposition beclouding the mindset of youths.
Youth entrepreneurship and inclusion in politics as ways of curbing social vices and political apathy would have expatiated forthwith.
YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
Entrepreneurship can be described as the act of setting up, organizing and managing a business venture along with any of its risks to make a profit.
It is without a doubt that one of the major challenges faced by most countries of the world today is youth unemployment. According to Statista, as of 2019, the rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria was almost 20 per cent. Furthermore, according to Plan International, 621 million young people aged 15-24 are not in education or employment. These statistics show that youth unemployment could boomerang into a global crisis causing economic retrogression.
Entrepreneurship in any society is a sign of progress. Therefore, Governments, industry players, etc. should implement strategies which would build an environment conducive for entrepreneurship opportunities. Furthermore, the youths should not to wait on the government for opportunities and get to work.
YOUTH INCLUSION IN POLITICS.
Politics is erroneously regarded as a space for older people. A cursory observation of the trend of youth political participation globally reveals that they have not been integrated into the political system.
However, better days are definitely ahead given the signing of a bill that reduces the age limit required to seek a political office in Nigeria. The Inter-parliamentary union (IPU) reported that people between the ages of 20 and 44 make up 57% of the world’s voting age population but only 26% of the world’s Members of Parliament (MPs).
Some challenges facing youth participation in politics include unemployment, the reluctance of older generations to relinquish power and political apathy.
Measures which are being taken to ensure youth inclusion in politics would be highlighted.
The UN, International Monetary Fund, and other multinational corporations implore member nations to integrate the youths into their policies, programs, and strategies.
Also, legal frameworks should be established for youth participation in politics.
CONCLUSION.
It is believed that youth entrepreneurship would serve as a way of curbing social vices like terrorism and cultism. Moreover, the inclusion of youths in politics would also reduce political apathy amongst them.
If the world youth population is utilized effectively, it would be a potential resource to uplift and change the world, making it a better place for all of us to live in. Little wonder Benjamin Disraeli opined; “The Youth of a Nation are the trustees of Posterity.”
Shadare Oluwasemilore Enoch, is a 500 level student of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a research analyst at The Investment Society, University of Lagos. His email address is [email protected]
Shadare hail from Lagos, Nigeria
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