The former president of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has admonished Nigerian youths to adopt positive attitude, altitude, and character to transform obstacles into opportunities for success in the face of daunting challenges in a fractured world.
Obasanjo gave the charge on Friday at the reunion and maiden lecture series of the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) Alumni Association, Nigeria Chapter, held at the Green Legacy Resort, OOPL, Abeokuta.
Speaking on the topic, “The Challenges of the Youth in a Fractured World,” Obasanjo, represented by Prof. Samuel Daramola, identified the challenges faced by youths today to include “expectations unrealisable, plans frustrated, and programmes unrealised.” He described these as the realities of the modern world. According to him, the topic was both relevant and timely, stressing that the issues it raises should concern everyone, both for the present and the future.
Analyzing the four key words in the theme — challenge, youth, fractured, and world — Obasanjo noted that “challenge” refers to a situation that requires maximum concentration of mental, emotional, and physical effort to overcome. He explained that while challenges can be painful and demanding, they are also beneficial, serving as attributes, developers, and character builders. On the term “fractured,” he likened it to a crack or break that renders an object less useful, adding that a fractured world represents one where disorder, insecurity, and unpredictability reign.
He further described the “youth” as a critical phase between childhood and adulthood, characterized by vitality, idealism, dreams, and adventure. “This time is characterised as vitality, idealism, hopes, expectation, dreams, a bit of adventure, naivety and so on.
It is glorious world when the whole world is in front of you,” he said. Obasanjo, therefore, urged young people to develop a “can-do spirit” and resilient character in all their endeavours, adding that with Nigeria’s population of about 250 million, opportunities are bound to grow if youths think critically and act creatively.
The former president also called on the federal government to introduce a new academic course titled “Business Creation” through the National Universities Commission (NUC), federal ministry of education, and university curricula.
“Through Government policy; National University Commission, federal Ministry of education and University Curricular should begin to develop a course called Business Creation, there must be a created business for a business to be administered,” he emphasized, urging leaders to show sensitivity and understanding toward the peculiar challenges confronting youths in today’s rapidly changing and fractured world.
In his remarks, Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, represented by his Special Adviser on Security, AIG (rtd) Olusola Subair, commended the RCDS Alumni Association Nigeria Chapter for its commitment to service, strategic thinking, and nation-building.
He described the institute as a “crucible of leadership” that has produced strategic thinkers and global leaders across the military, civil service, and diplomatic corps, noting that the formation of the Nigeria Chapter signified a renewed commitment to Nigeria’s development and security.
Also speaking, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Tuggar, represented by Dr. Abosede Awodele, described the RCDS as one of the finest institutions of strategic learning in the world, urging alumni not to keep their knowledge to themselves but to channel it toward national service.
Earlier, the President of the RCDS Alumni Association Nigeria Chapter, Maj. Gen. O. Oluwaseun Oshinowo (rtd), expressed gratitude to Chief Obasanjo and all guests, emphasizing the need to harness the energy and creativity of Nigerian youths for national development. Highlights of the event included the presentation of awards to distinguished guests.
