NATIONAL: Participate in politics, convert your tweets to votes IN 2023, Dabiri-Erewa urges youths

THE Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has advised youths not to limit their participation in politics to social media

Dabiri-Erewa urged the youths to get actively involved in politics ahead of the 2023 general elections.

She noted that the youths can leverage their knowledge of the social media by turning their tweets to votes in the coming general elections.

Dabiri-Erewa stated this on Wednesday at the 14th ǼLEX Annual Lecture (Virtual Edition) tagged ‘Illiteracy, Migration and Insecurity: Nigeria’s Population Time Bomb’.

She stressed that Nigeria’s over 200 million people, half of which is made up of young people, is an asset to drive economic prosperity and political change.

“For the youths, please join politics, be on the table. Now is the time for the youths. Get involved now, make a difference. Be at the House of Assembly, be at the House of Representatives, Be at the Senate. Don’t wait. That is the solution to #EndSARS,” the former lawmaker said.

The NIDCOM boss attributed the desperation of young Nigerians to leave the country for foreign land to ignorance; she added that they can also realise their dreams in the country.

“Most young people going out there are not illiterate; they are actually educated but they are lured that there is a better world outside, they paint them a picture of buying houses for their mothers, fathers, which turns out to be fake. It is not about illiteracy but it is about more awareness out there. But there are some people that no matter what you tell them, they have to go,” she stated.

The ex-lawmaker also said intra-country or rural-urban migration was limiting all parts of the country from developing at the same rate.

Dabiri-Erewa said, “We all don’t have to be in Lagos. Look at what is happening in Lagos because everybody is coming to Lagos. Everybody develop your state. When we go to America, the UK, every state is developed. Lagos receives over 3,000 people every day and they don’t leave. Let every state develop so that everybody can stay in their states. Build industries, go into manufacturing, develop agriculture, develop the enormous human resources that we have in this country.

“So, let everybody develop their states. That is the solution. Too much pressure on Lagos; everybody is coming to Lagos. That cannot continue.”

Also speaking at the event, the Resident Representative, United Nations Development Programme, Mohamed Yahaya, advised governments at all levels to transform the population strength and landmass of the country to economic prosperity.

He said most people come to Lagos and leave after finding opportunities but advised state governments to make attractive conditions for businesses to establish in their states.

The ǼLEX lecture series was inaugurated in 2005 to commemorate the founding ideals of legal practice.