‘We’ve failed Nigeria’: Ex-Bauchi Governor urges youth to lead nation’s revival

• Former governor of Bauchi State Mohammed Abubakar admits his generation has failed Nigeria in leadership
• He urged Nigerian youths to step up and take responsibility for the nation's future
• Abubakar highlighted the importance of preparing young people for leadership, warning that neglecting youth development threatens Nigeria's future

A former governor of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, has called on Nigerian youths to rise and take up the responsibility for salvaging the country.

Mohammed, who spoke on Tuesday, October 8, at the First Bauchi SDGs Youth Summit 2024, declared that his generation and its set of leaders, including himself, have failed to provide Nigerians with the kind of leadership they deserve.

“My generation has failed. My generation appears not to have the answers anymore.

“Allah loves Nigeria. That is why every chance he gives to my generation, we take Nigeria to the precipice, and Allah will bring it back. We will take over again and bring it to the precipice, which means doing one thing the same way and expecting a different result. Which some people say is the definition of madness,” he stated.

While disclosing his investments in the youth populace during his administration was deliberate, the Bauchi ex-governor noted further, “I deliberately populated my executive council with the youth, and in doing that, I did not pick and choose the sons or daughters of the big shots. I picked youth for their abilities to perform, and I encouraged them, knowing fully well that one day, whether I like it or not, I have to quit the stage, and the youths will take over.”

Mohammed warned that leaders should be wary of the country's future when the youths are not trained to be ready for the leadership roles ahead of them.

Continuing, he stressed that with poor investment in youths, their readiness for the leadership role of the country's future is already at stake.

“If we do not train them today, we can imagine what is going to happen when the time comes for us to leave the stage and allow them to take over. We will have people who are not ready for the leadership roles ahead of them,” Mohammed maintained.

He called on the youths to brace up for the challenge and change the country’s present narrative.

Also, speaking at the occasion, the Bauchi State Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Salis Gamawa, advised the youths to look for opportunities to innovate and make a difference in the socio-economic narrative of the country instead of searching for non-existent white-collar jobs.

According to Gamawa, the system has changed, and the youths also have to change their ways of thinking.

The commissioner, who observed that some youths are just naysayers of the government and anyone occupying the leadership position, cautioned that “life is a project and the best thing you can do to yourself is to project a better image of yourself. Where we are lacking greatly as young people, we need to identify them to know what it means to be a leader.”

Gamawa clarified, “To mean a leader is not about the executive governor. It is not about the commissioner. It is not about anything but yourself.”

Thus, he advised that youths must first learn how to correctly and positively lead themselves as individuals before thinking of leading others.

Several youths and women from across the region attended the summit, including students from secondary and tertiary institutions.

2027 presidency: Bala Mohammed announces intention, offers Tinubu campaign role

Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state had declared his intention in the 2027 presidential election during the launch of the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) campaign for the August 17 local government election in Bauchi State on Wednesday, August 7. 

The PDP governor said Tinubu’s policies are not working. If it continues, he will invite the President to serve as the campaign director for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2027.