In his remark, Banky W decried the pains Nigerians have endured over the years due to failure of elected officials to deliver on their mandates.
The music star also lamented the mindset of many youths who often criticise the government on the social media but stay away from politics because they consider it to be “dirty.”
“There is a disparity in what we say on social media and what we do. How long are we going to abandon politics because we think it is dirty?” he queried.
According to him, the #EndSARS protest has demonstrated that the youths can bring about the desired change in the country if they are focused and united.
“The EndSARS protest has shown the power that resides in a determined group of young Nigerians. When we come together, there’s nothing we cannot achieve when it comes to the affairs of our nation,” he added.
He said there is a need for the youths to translate similar energy witnessed during the #EndSARS protest into active political participation.
“However, we cannot protest about every problem we have as a nation. Protesting every problem is simply not sustainable. We must now move from protests to political power. We must channel that energy towards participating in politics, and collectively push for the right candidates at various levels,” he added.
Also speaking, Shagari, who is the managing director of the Royal African Young Leadership Forum (RAYLF), said the youths must take calculated steps to join politics in order to change the narrative.
“Leadership is a position of responsibility, sadly, too many young people join politics for the wrong reasons. Politics should not be seen as an avenue to make money,” he said.
Shagari added that the youths need to see things beyond the prism of ethnicity and religion when voting for candidates.
On his part, Seun Fakorede, Oyo state former commissioner for youth and sports, said “our approach must be different and realistic as youths.”
“Enough of being sentimental. If you are young and empty-headed, that won’t count for much. It is not enough to be young. According to the former commissioner, competence and character is required to cater for the peculiar challenges facing our nation,” he added.
The virtual event was hosted by the Carrington Fellowship, a youth-based organisation established by the United States consulate, Lagos, in partnership with Constitution Lab.
Olusola Owonikoko, president of the Carrington Fellowship, said “for Nigeria to harness it’s demographic dividends, young people must participate actively in politics.”
