Buhari clarifies “lazy Nigerian youths” comment, blames media

President Buhari has clarified what he meant with the statement that a lot of Nigerian youths are unwilling to work.

The statement had attracted fierce criticisms from the general public.

Buhari, during an interview with Voice of America, Hausa service, in Washington, United States on Tuesday, maintained that many youths are without jobs and are not educated enough to get one, particularly in the North.

“You know they say we are over 180 to 200 million people in Nigeria and 60% are the youth below the age of 30,” he said.

“In the North for instance, most have not attended school or they abandoned halfway.

“If not because we had favourable rainfall in the past two seasons; most of them have no jobs, just idling away.

“People like them, even if they go to the South for instance, what they will make will not be enough to even pay their rent not to talk of feeding, clothing, and transport back home.

“That has not been explained enough and you know the media, especially the print, are simply doing whatever they like.

“We had two successful farming seasons, people went to the farm and did very well, but no one is talking about that; only insults.”