By Evelyn Usman

LAGOS – Youths under the auspices of Nigerian Youth League, NYL, have blamed past and current leaders for the failed state of the nation, calling on the older generation to step aside for the youth, with a view to developing a new system.

To achieve Nigeria’s dream of a great nation, NYL, at a public forum, urged youths to come together with a common aim of transforming the nation.

Founder of the League, Mr Daniel Afilaka, said the older generation had failed in their role of positioning and lifting the country to an enviable height, adding that the time had come for the new generation to take its place in the nation’s politics and economy.

He lamented that efforts by youths in the past had met with stiff resistance of the older generation, saying: “Nigerian youths are not given a chance. You cannot see a youth as director of any government parastatals because they think we are too young. But they have forgotten that this is our generation and this is our country.

“We are ready to take over the affairs of this country because we believe the older generation had lost touch with reality, as they do not have any idea of what it takes to rule this country anymore.

“Nigeria is 50 years old and the next 50 years is going to be determined by us. Our message, therefore, is that it is time for the youths to take over the affairs of this country and take the nation to the next level.”

Human rights activist, Mr Gozie Ubani, who spoke on “Economic Injustice in Nigeria: The Solution,” decried the widening gap between the rich and the poor, noting that about 40 per cent of Nigerians go to bed without food on a daily basis.