"Nigeria Goverment Must Pay attention to youths, Hear Their Cry" – US envoy Voiced Out

Stuart Symington, United States Ambassador to Nigeria has called on Nigerian leaders to pay more attention to the youths and see them as agents that will bring the much desired change in the nation.

The ambassador made the call yesterday in Lagos State at the 2018 Annual Seminar of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association.

At the seminar themed: “The Youth and Transformational Leadership in Nigeria”, Symington who noted the resilience and can-do-spirit that distinguishes Nigerians from other individuals, advised Nigerians to think more of ways of moving the nation forward.

He also asked that Nigerians be passionate about the development of every part of the country, instead of focusing on the major cities alone.

Underscoring the country’s population as the biggest resource in determining the kind of democracy the populace wants, he advised the youths to actively participate in politics, be keen about reading and stay abreast of development.

“What distinguishes Nigeria is neither the resource of its oil nor the resource of its land and water, it is you. If all Nigerians ask themselves ‘what we love about our country?

“Truly families, friends, your resilience, your devotion, your warmth, your resilience are the essential elements that bind Nigerians together and they are powerful forces for good.

“The youth of Nigeria is a powerful force for good not just in Nigeria but the whole world. But the challenge now is how can those youths and people in Nigeria take that resource and make Nigeria better than it is? For me that requires the thinking of the country, the thinking of others and not self,” he stated.

On the coming election, he stated that: “…As we approach the election it is essential that it be about freedom, fairness credibility, transparency and peaceful activities. It should be about something more which is the future of Nigeria.”