The Nigerian population is very young with an average age of 18. So young that 80 per of the entire populace is under 40 years, leaving the rest to make up the remaining 20 percent.
These very young, vibrant, and energetic lot are exceptionally brilliant, talented, and analytical, while the 20 percent whom I would like to describe as the “old lot” are hardworking, experienced, and very cautious. One would have expected the older generation not only to guide them in this game of life but also to learn from their “antics” and how they see the world through their eyes. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case simply because there is a disconnect between these generations.
I was at Corteizrtw’s Drop on Sunday at Harbour Point and what I experienced with these young fellas was exhilarating and liberating. To think most of these teenagers and young adults have parents who could buy the tees for them yet would rather hustle for a free one opened my eyes to two crucial ideals.
One is the brand’s marketing style, which can be likened to Hermes’ as they have created an artificial scarcity for many fans. Buying the brand’s clothing items is not as easy as having the cash to pay for them. Tasks, engagements, and even codes are involved in purchasing these items. Their fans equally enjoy the hunts, the hustling, and the adrenaline rush, which ultimately give each piece its sentimental value.
To top it all is experiencing the thrill and frenzy of being there to see one of their own. From the likes of @trill_tega, and @Olaoluslawn Nigerian artists, making waves internationally, to even the designer @clint419, our youths could see themselves in these icons, which serves as a massive form of encouragement.
The second ideal that stood out to me was my struggle to identify these teenagers’ and young adults’ values. What exactly do they stand for? Knowing fully well that values are not morals, principles, things, or activities we love to do but the qualities of life we live entirely from the inside out. I could not help but wonder what they live for and where they see themselves in the next 10 to 15 years.
As much as I was thrilled, I was also shocked by the whole drop fiasco by sensing that a strange culture was filling a gap. Our young ones are fine; they are open-minded and free-spirited but lack guidance. Although they know what is right and what isn’t while caring for one another, they lack national values. Even though they love themselves and root for their own, they are neither religious, tribalistic, nor nationalistic, if there is a word like that. They see themselves as global citizens, and that is it.
Global citizenship is excellent, but I believe it could endanger nation-building if the disconnect between the Gen Z and the old lot continues. Possible implications of this reminded me of my findings while researching the social determinants of health among indigenous Canadians. Once described by the New York Times as cultural genocide, the outcomes of the Canadian Indian Residential School System were beyond culture as it negatively impacted the aborigine’s recent health outcomes. The life expectancy of indigenous Canadians is 12 years lower than the national average, and their susceptibility rate to preventable diseases is higher than that of non-indigenes.
The root causes were convincingly linked to the negative impact the Indian Act of 1867 had on the indigenous children by separating them from their parents through residential schooling, thereby disconnecting them from their beliefs, tradition, language, ancestral ties, autonomy, and dignity. Although Nigeria’s current situation is not a case of a forced system, our young ones may find themselves embracing values that could be detrimental to their well-being, family value system, or nation-building.
Read also: Education decadence in Nigeria: Who is to blame?
As a Well-being Specialist who engages youth in career enhancement and resiliency, I know these young people are open to having these conversations. However, how many of our old lots are ready to answer their questions, let alone have an exchange? A teenager once asked me if he could reach out to Leslie Lamport, an 81year old Turing Award winner in the United States, about his study program. I encouraged him to do so, and the computer guru responded within an hour of sending him an e-mail. You can imagine how thrilled he was to have been answered quickly and with handy and valid guidance.
The same lad wrote to his lecturer here in Nigeria, and it took months to get a response after several follow-ups and escalation. I often experience this ghosting attitude from people I reach out to in my industry within the country. It is as bad as not acknowledging one’s e-mail or message, let alone allowing you to volunteer your expertise. Of what could they possibly be afraid? Whatever happened to dying empty or keeping the flag flying? I often wonder
I am open to teaching and learning to anyone encouraged by what I do. Just like the late Chaz B would say, “If each one could reach one, then each one can teach one. What a much more beautiful nation Nigeria would be”
Olayinka writes from Lagos. T: +234 8100371304, E: [email protected] or https://lnkd.in/efCmu87J
