By ‘Sola Fagorusi
Without empirical evidence, it is safe to contend that there are more phones in our tertiary institutions than there are books. If this claim fails qualitative scrutiny then claiming that more hours are spent on mobile gadgets by students than are with other reading materials should hold true. Anyone who has eavesdropped on conversations between Nigerian students in universities, polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education may be roundly disappointed depending on one’s expectations. The conversations are most times predictable and prosaic – relationships, entertainment, religious figures and football find dominant spaces in the conversation mix. In buses, restaurants and a number of public spaces, the discussion is not too different from the type they have in their private spaces. The average graduate also seems to continue in this light in post-graduation life. Nothing about society dynamics and socio-political happenings interests them. When they seldom broach such issues it is usually poorly argued with analysis too shallow to create a scratch.
If the country had always had students of these ilks, maybe it will be less of a concern. It is hugely worrisome today because young people who were mostly students in the country at some point used to be the hope of the nation. They had the wits to engage professors who were university administrators on campus issues students wanted addressed. More impressive was there approach; they had press releases circulated around the campus at midnights, wrote intelligible letters to newspaper editors, held congresses where oratorical skills were never in short supply and most importantly were always contemporary in terms of thoughts and the elements of their arguments. It would have even been more entrenching in today’s new media age. University administrators whose policies fell short of expectation will have been called out on twitter. Student leaders who are caught romancing with politicians will have had their day on Facebook with issues thoroughly analysed to the delight of both students and others outside the campus. There would possibly have been lesser cases of students’ victimisation on the premise of campus politics because the world would have easily known the story and intervened. Sadly, this is not so. New media technology does not seem to be adding to the quality of students’ unionism, if anything it is taking away from it. The three to four hours reportedly spent on the average on these gadgets are not counting for something. There are however rare and few flashes of difference.
As the 2015 elections in Nigeria draw closer, it does not look as though Nigerian students will play a critical role in shaping decision on how the ship of states is rowed for the next four years. Questions are not been asked and galvanised for social action in social media space. Politicians do not in any way feel answerable to this single biggest demography in the country. There is a dearth of manifestoes or ideologies hinting at students’ welfare and the quality of education. On the streets of twitter, it’s hush-hush on these issues because those of are mostly affected are in themselves quiet and ignorant. A few flashes occasionally are from Nigerians in their 30’s and 40’s who have been witnesses to the glorious era of students’ colourful and radical engagement with the polity. The National Association of Nigerian Students which used to be the common platform for such today only exists in name and with a different vision far from what it should be. This was the same body that emerged from the West African Student Union in 1925 and then became the vibrant National Union of Nigeria Students before its final metamorphosis to NANS. The body before now clearly engaged with national politics from a very cerebral perspective and even had some of its leaders suffer time in prison and expulsion. The toughest task then was getting information out in the open and getting the media to focus its dim or bright spotlight on the issues of agitation. Social media outlets will have made this easier today but then it seems what exists today is the ghost of NANS; a body that has become one that only discuss where the leadership’s next bread and butter will come from.
While students can’t be outrightly blamed for this descent in quality, it bears to note that the society will continue to pay dearly for having a corps of students and graduates who are not conscious politically, who will complain about a 1,000-word article being too lengthy, who will tune away from a news and analysis channel and instead flip the station perpetually to Big Brother or African Magic. NANS is too critical to be left on the fringes for the change the country so desire. Segun Mayeigun, Lanre Arogundade, Omoyele Sowore, Anthony Fashayo and a number of other comrades in their ranks must be watching with admiration the on-goings by the HongKong Federation of Students led by Alex Yong-kang and his colleague from Scholarism, 18-year-old Joshua Chi-fung as it relates to the Umbrella Movement. This feat bear repeat in Nigeria where policies are largely far from being pro-people and pro-poor and corruption appears the most thriving institution.
Young people in Nigeria under the age of 35 are estimated to be about 70% of the population. The 2006 figure puts the estimate of this population to be about a hundred million. A proactive NANS would even have requested that the idea of disenfranchising corps members under the guise of being adhoc INEC staff should also be reviewed. In the 2015 elections, an average of about 220,000 Nigerian youths will be disenfranchised, asides the number of tertiary institution that would be shut down during elections. With Student Union leaders who can hardly hold decent and wistful conversations for five minutes, who will bell the chat?
The shiny screen of the smartphones on campus appears to be blinding students and young people from the reality that the future of our country rests on their backpack–loving shoulders. That demography will continue to be ignored if all they do is ping, change display pictures and listen to music on their phones. Maybe someone needs to tap them on the shoulder to show them that it is now possible to read newspapers on the phones, respond to issues in form of articles or even sing about them, pressure government to act accordingly through online protests that are marched with street actions and ultimately come together in unity to pursue a common goal that will ensure that Nigeria’s next centenary will be nothing like the last one.
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‘Sola Fagorusi
Sola Fagorusi is a youth development advocate, freelance writer, accomplished debater cum coach. The Obafemi Awolowo University graduate has about 10 years experience in social entrepreneurship which straddles leadership, good governance cum anti-corruption and adolescent reproductive health. The Leap Africa alumnus is also a trained peer educator, a DESPLAY alumnus and co-facilitator. For 2 years now, he has been a technical consultant and lead judge on the Intra-Faith Peace Youth TV Debate Project facilitated by Youngstars Foundation and the British High Commission. To read his full profile, click here.
