One of Nigeria’s serial inventors and Managing Director of Port Harcourt-based Valec Electric Limited, Mr. Okwudili Ogbuenyi, has blamed the low productivity among many young people in Nigeria today to a growing culture of entitlement inherited from years of hearing political leaders call them the leaders of tomorrow.

Ogbuenyi who advised the youths to invest their energy in talent development and entrepreneurship, also insisted that they owe the society the debt of deploying their young creative energy into contributing to the advancement of their environment.

Speaking when he was conferred with the award of Nigerian Youth Ambassador by the National Youth Council of Nigeria recently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State in recognition of his inventions in the area of Electrical & Electronics Engineering as well as his works of philanthropy, Ogbuenyi lamented the years of political sloganeering on youth empowerment and said time has come for youths to take practical steps towards empowering themselves through knowledge-based self-improvement.

“We have been hearing about youths being the leaders of tomorrow since we were children. But my analyses show that even those who were youths at the time this insincere political rhetoric began, have grown into adulthood without a change of guard. If those that should hand the reigns of leadership to our fathers failed to do so and are still telling is that we are the leaders of tomorrow, it would be foolhardy for us to continue to believe this insincerity,” he stated.

Ogbuenyi, who has multiple inventions in the areas of Power, Security, and Home & Industrial automations said the only way today’s youths can be tomorrow’s leaders would be for them to assert their economic independence from politicians and become agents of Nigeria’s economic diversification.

“I sincerely believe the vision of a diversified Nigerian economy rests with youths. We have the travel and urban experience to deliver on this. The only thing we need do is stop believing that anyone else other than ourselves will do it for us. The future of Nigeria is not oil. If you follow the developments in clean energy, you would realize that oil as a resource is imperiled already. The future of Nigeria is not politics; no matter how much they deceive you, please pay no heed to the brand of politics played in Nigeria. The future of Nigeria is YOU. You are the resources the country will need in the future,” he said.

The electrical engineer who resigned his job with a Multinational Oil & Gas Company to venture into entrepreneurship, blamed the high crime rate in Nigeria today on the entitlement mentality of many youths, but insisted that only the young people can reorder the society by channeling their energy to more positive, value adding enterprises for the common good.

Earlier during the presentation of the award, Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade (Barr) Suleiman Abubakar commended the awardee for distinguishing himself not only in the field of engineering and entrepreneurial development but also in philanthropy.

Suleiman said the NYCN was attracted by reports of the free training programmes organised by Valec Electric Ltd. for Nigerian youths as well as the scholarship opportunities granted to young Nigerians by Mr. Ogbuenyi and called on other gifted youths in the country to emulate these kind gestures in the effort to create an economically empowered youth population.

“Amongst the few who hold this award, you have distinguished yourself as more deserving, not only by the wonderful welfarism you have exhibited, but also by your readiness to transfer knowledge to younger generations as well as your undying commitment to continue your humanitarian services especially towards indigent Nigerian youths,” he said.

PHOTO: L-R; Okwudili Ogbuenyi; CEO Valec Electric Ltd, receiving his Ambassadorship award from the Secretary General of the National Youth Council of Nigeria, Comrade Suleiman Abubakar, Secretary General, NYCN, in Port Harcourt, recently. With them is Engr. Ekan David, Project Manager, Valec Electric Ltd.

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