Ndoma-Egba: “An Educated Youth Without Opportunity Is A Threat To Nigeria’s Future”
Nigeria’s growing youth population, often hailed as its greatest asset, could become its biggest threat if the government fails to provide education, skills, and opportunities, former Senate Leader Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba has warned.
Speaking on The Exchange podcast hosted by Femi Soneye, the former NDDC Chairman painted a sobering picture of Nigeria’s decline from post-independence optimism to widespread insecurity and economic stagnation.
He said the nation’s failure to build strong institutions and hold leaders accountable has eroded its foundations.
Recalling a time when Nigeria’s economy was vibrant, Ndoma-Egba lamented that industries that once fuelled regional growth, such as textile factories in Kano and Kaduna and the meat plant in Bauchi, have disappeared. “We’ve gone from industrial pride to institutional paralysis,” he said.
He attributed much of the dysfunction to excessive bureaucracy and political interference, citing his experience at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), where it once took 62 approvals for a contractor to get paid.
“That kind of system breeds inefficiency and, inevitably, corruption,” he said.
The former lawmaker also noted that the cost of governance has ballooned while the quality of leadership has diminished, leaving little room for youth inclusion or innovation.
According to him, Nigeria’s stability hinges on how it handles its youth bulge: “If they are not educated, if they are not skilled, if they are not empowered, they become a curse.
An educated person without opportunity is a threat, an educated armed robber is more dangerous.”
Ndoma-Egba called for urgent investment in education, skills, and entrepreneurship to channel the youth’s energy towards national productivity.
He concluded with a powerful appeal: “We must return to productivity and security, these are the twin pillars of a prosperous Nigeria.”
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