Friday, January 03, 2014

Funmi Iyanda's Open Letter to Nigerian Youth

Recently, Funmi Iyanda delivered a Keynote Address at the ThinkOyo 30under30 Awards, challenging Nigeria’s emerging young intellectual elite to think positively and act differently from their parents in order to bring Nigeria the elusive transformative change that it desperately needs.

“For this elite, the rest of their kith and kin fill them with unease and even disgust and they condemn them to poverty and a passive consumption of other people’s science, innovations, religions, art and technology as though such achievements are beyond us. They also condemn their own children to future poverty not just material but emotional and cultural. Notably the stolen wealth hardly outlives the first generation.

So what shall we do? What will the young intellectual elite of today do differently?

A youth cultural revolution of ideology and values perhaps? Jettison the hypocrisy, the pseudo religious, anti women, anti children, anti poor patriarchy. Turn away from the bigotry, the megalomania, and the cultural bravado. Free yourselves and your future. Speak the truth to power and each other, not just on twitter, to face. Refuse to participate in the racket, the hustle, and the lie. Be better than that which is on offer.