Nigerian in US Urges Youths to Reject Political Handouts, Take Charge of Nation’s Future

Mrs. Mfon Umana-Odei, an Akwa Ibom indigene based in the United States, has called on Nigerian youths to reflect on their circumstances and take an active role in shaping the country’s future as another election cycle approaches.

In a message addressed to young Nigerians titled “You Are the Architects of Your Future,” Mrs. Umana-Odei urged them to take stock of their lives and answer one question honestly: “Am I better off today than I was three years ago?”

She asked young people to set aside sentiment, political affiliation, and fear of offending anyone when answering, and to weigh their finances, job prospects, purchasing power, standard of living, security, education, and hopes for the future.

“If your honest answer is NO, then it is time to reflect, rethink, and make a conscious decision about the future you want for yourselves and generations yet unborn,” she said.

Mrs. Umana-Odei reminded Nigerians that those in public office are few compared with the number of citizens affected by their decisions, even as political alignments shift and many governors move to the ruling party.

“They are only a handful of people compared to the millions of citizens whose lives and future are at stake,”* she said, adding that *”no government can legitimately claim to represent the will of the people without the participation and consent of the people.”

She noted that Nigerians were promised a better country three years ago and said every citizen should independently examine whether those promises have improved their quality of life.

“The government cannot give you what it does not have,” she said. “It cannot manufacture prosperity through promises.”

Mrs. Umana-Odei also cautioned young people against letting others use them in ways that undermine the democratic process. According to her, no political system can continue to exploit people without some level of cooperation, silence, or participation from those who make it possible.

She warned that young people who are used to manipulate elections, intimidate voters, or trade their future for temporary handouts risk becoming participants in a system that may ultimately work against their own interests.

“Do not mortgage your future for a bag of rice, a few thousand naira, or any temporary political gift,” she said, asking: “What can ₦5,000 do for you when the economic conditions that affect your daily life remain unresolved?”

“A bag of rice will finish. The money will disappear. But the consequences of the decisions you make today may follow you for years,” she added.

The message urged youths to organize, educate themselves, engage in meaningful conversations, demand accountability, register to vote, protect their votes, and participate peacefully in the democratic process. She also cautioned against division along ethnic, religious, or political lines while common challenges remain unresolved.

Mrs. Umana-Odei asked Nigerians to consider what kind of country they wish to leave their children: one where opportunities depend on connections, where hard work struggles to pay, and where young people are forced to seek opportunities abroad, or one where “dignity, justice, security, and opportunity are available to all.”

“The power to influence that future does not belong exclusively to politicians. It belongs to every Nigerian citizen,” she said. “You cannot keep surrendering your future to politicians and then complain about the direction of your country.”

She stressed that her message was not driven by hatred for any party or individual.

“This is not about hatred for any political party or individual,” she said. “It is about demanding accountability from everyone entrusted with public responsibility.”

Concluding her message, Mrs. Umana-Odei told young Nigerians: “Your future is worth more than a bag of rice. Your dignity is worth more than a temporary cash gift. Your country is worth more than the ambitions of a few politicians.”

“Politicians will come and go, but Nigeria will remain. You will remain here to live with the consequences of the choices made today,” she said.

She ended with a rallying cry: “You are the architects of your future. Do not allow anyone to design it for you!”

“God bless the Nigerian youth, and God bless Nigeria,” she added.