By Nnasom David

For Nigeria to move forward, it needs the energy of the youth which is presently in abundance, but yet to be harnessed in the country.

Gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for Lagos State in the 2023 gubernatorial election, Chief Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour emphasized this, while speaking at the inauguration of 137 local government areas coordinators, South West Zone of the National Youth Alliance (NYA) on Monday February 9 in Ibadan.

Speaking as the Chairman of the occasion, Chief Rhodes-Vivour, lamented that those in power in the country, do not take decisions that favour youth.

“We need the energy of the youth to move Nigeria forward. Development is supposed to reactivate it'” he said.

According to him, when you look at the Senate, the Governors, the Presidents, t’s not reflecting youth representation.

“That’s why they cannot make decisions properly that would affect or benefit you.
But they only take us serious when we take ourselves serious.
When we start to participate, when we start to organize,” he urged.

The 2023 Guber candidate lamented that those in power are borrowing money that they won’t be the ones to pay.

“They are borrowing money anyhow because they are not the ones that will have to pay the tax.
When your president is budgeting billions every year for Asteroid cleaning, you will not use Asteroid cleaning when there is no cleaning there,” he said.

He therefore, charged the youth to participate actively in politics.

“So please, anytime I hear you need participation, I always support.
Because I ran for Senate in the largest electoral district in Nigeria when I was 35,” he said.

Earlier in his welcome address, President of NYA, Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas said that youth in Nigeria have all it takes to determine who wins any election.

He said that NYA as a movement is poised to achieving “Youth O Clock” through active participation in political activities on the country by supporting candidates that have interest of youth at heart.

“This inauguration underscores the Alliance’s unwavering commitment to building a disciplined, organized, and people-driven youth movement capable of influencing positive political, social, and economic change,” he said.

Meanwhile, the youth drawn from across the 137 local government areas of the South West resolved to doing all it takes to make Nigeria work for the good of all as the coordinators were inaugurated.

This landmark event marks a significant milestone in the ongoing nationwide consolidation of the NYA’s grassroots structure, aimed at strengthening youth participation, leadership development, and inclusive governance across Nigeria.

The newly inaugurated Local Government Coordinators were carefully selected based on credibility, competence, and dedication to the ideals of youth empowerment and national development.

Their mandate includes mobilizing young people at the grassroots, promoting civic engagement, advancing women and youth inclusion in governance, and serving as ambassadors of responsible leadership within their respective local governments.

The South-West zonal inauguration in Ibadan further reflects the NYA’s strategic focus on regional balance, unity, and coordinated action, as the Alliance continues to expand its footprint across all geopolitical zones of the country.