Yemi Osibanjo, Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor has expressed confidence that Nigeria will remain a united and strong nation which will frustrate those hoping for its balkanization.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the maiden edition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Progressives Youth Conference, he explained that “in the area of disruption and disruptive innovation, the principle that we are stronger together than in little part is a sound principle and it is my respectful view that those who advocate the breaking up of the country are terribly wrong”
Speaking further, Osibanjo said: “Our size is crucial for geopolitical and economic relevance. Our people will be better served by a large populous and diverse country. As with all big and diverse countries, our business is to make this union work; it is to give everybody a sense of belonging.
“All of those waiting on the sidelines, hoping that this big country called Nigeria will break up into bits so that they can pick up the pieces, will be very sorely disappointed and I am very sure that those of you who are seated here today will prevent that from happening.”
The Vice President acknowledged the need for all Nigerians to be guaranteed a fair chance at improving their human condition and urged the youth to be a part of conversations that will ensure this.
He asked the young generation not just to say it was time for them and for the older people to give way, stressing that such was unlikely to happen.
Professor Osinbajo, however, stated that it was the strength of the ideas and the depth of the youths’ organisation and not age that would retire those ahead of them.
“I am also frankly not very impressed with the notion that the role and power of young people are somehow postponed until elders have gone, or that there’s some kind of generational queue that to which we all must subscribe.
“Even if that was true at some point, today, that notion stands on very weak legs indeed,” he said.
Conversations at the conference centred on more youth inclusiveness in party politics and the positioning of young people for the 2023 general elections.
