From ‘Lazy Youths’ To National Honours Awardees, How Young Nigerians Are Breaking Stereotypes To Dominate Global Stage

In April 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari came under heavy criticism, especially from young Nigerians, after describing young Nigerians as lazy and uneducated at a global forum. 

“More than 60 per cent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free,” Buhari had said at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London.

The phrase, “Lazy Nigerian Youths”, trended on social media for days as young Nigerians expressed their displeasure at the president’s statement which many believe reinforced a negative stereotype against  Nigerian youths most of whom have been subjected to the hustle life and have to xxx to survive in the face of rising unemployment, inflation, insecurity, police brutality and disruption of their academic programmes among many others.

Incidentally (Or ironically?), President Buhari recognised the significant work Nigerian youths are doing in distinguishing themselves not only in Nigeria but making marks globally by conferring national awards on several young Nigerians. 

since 1964, there has never been a time a large number of young Nigerians have been conferred with national honours as we witnessed in 2022, a confirmation that the ‘lazy Nigerian youths’ are doing something exceptional and their exploits in the global space cannot be ignored at home.

Significantly, the young Nigerians who made the national honours list in 2022 did not just start the work that earned them this honour. Their effort began way before 2018, the year President Buhari infamously made that pronouncement about the country’s youths. There is no doubt that they were all worth celebrating. As Buhari himself said in his speech, those who were conferred with the national honours “have distinguished themselves in various ways for the purpose of recreating a new Nigeria of our dreams through respect for the rule of law, image laundering, transparency and accountability in management of scarce resources.”

Let’s look at the young Nigerians who were conferred with national awards.:

Ezra Olubi and Shola Akinlade

The duo founded Paystack, a payment solution in 2016, while they were in their late 20s. Both graduates of Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo in Ogun state, the startup was acquired by American company, Stripe, for over $200 million in October 2020. Incidentally, the deal was closed during the heat of the EndSARS protest where young Nigerians while protesting against police profiling and brutality were shot at by security agents.

Olugbenga Agboola and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji

Olugbenga Agboola and Iyinoluwa Aboyeji cofounded Flutterwave, a payment platform in 2016. The 31-year-old Aboyeji is also the co-founder of Andela and Chairman of Talent City Inc, a construction company.

Dr Ola Brown

Dr Ola Brown is a medical doctor and founder of the Flying Doctors Healthcare Investment Group. Her company founded in 2007 provides air ambulance services and medical technology. 

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Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (Burna Boy)

31-year-old singer, Burna Boy has been doing Nigeria proud with his craft both locally and internationally and became the first Nigerian to win the Grammy Award with his full body of work in 2021.

Teniola Apata

Teni as she is popularly known is a singer and entertainer who is the daughter of retired Nigerian Army Brigadier-General S. O. Apata who was killed in 1995. A versatile singer, the 29-year-old has won many awards for her music. She was conferred with the national award for her “consistent and meaningful participation in community and/or national development; rendering unsolicited, selfless and philanthropic services to humanity; outstanding sacrifice in the defence of a cause popularly adjudged to be positive, relevant and beneficial to the nation and community.’’

Extra

In what many Nigerians have been clamouring for, President Buhari awarded a post-humous national award to Ameyo Stella Adadevo, the doctor who lost her life in 2014 when she selflessly took charge of the first case of Ebola in Nigeria. Her action helped to reduce the spread of the deadly virus which potentially saved the lives of many Nigerians