Kingsley Kuku and Youth Activism: From New Orleans to Nigeria

Activism is one of the most fruitful and common ways that younger generations connect. According to a basic definition, it is seen as a vigorous attempt to bring about some social changes. Since activism generally involves a lot of effort and dedication, it comes as no surprise that younger people are typically the ones getting involved. Kingsley Kuku, a political activist and author who led student activism groups during his school days, believes that youth are the future and can drive efforts. But how does someone truly measure the purposefulness of a group of activists? Furthermore, can the youth successfully facilitate large-scale changes via these techniques?

Emergencies Connect People

Most battles for social changes are born out of a necessity, meaning, people connect to address an immediate emergency and become close enough to host a revolution. Undoubtedly, the best way to showcase this in the real world is to look at Hurricane Katrina. When this natural disaster hit New Orleans in 2005, it caused more than $70 billion in damages. Additionally, hundreds of people died in a matter of days after falling victims to the terrible flooding.

Although it is hard to recognize any silver linings, this tragedy did bring people together. In fact, younger generations led the way and demonstrated the importance of compassion and sympathy. Consequently, many families were rescued, and countless lives were saved. What is even more important, however, is that these examples of younger generations working together are not uncommon. In fact, they exist all over the globe.

Social Battles in Nigeria

Just like the youth in New Orleans, thousands of people are stepping up to fight common social injustices in Nigeria. In fact, according to Kingsley Kuku, the energy of younger people drives Nigeria closer to equality. As the author of "Remaking the Niger Delta: Challenges and Opportunities", Kuku is experienced in the area of activism himself. Thus, his recognition of the youth fighting for changes speaks volumes about its power and effects.

Rejuvenated State of Mind

Going back to the Hurricane Katrina example, think about the way that younger people altered the common mindset in Louisiana. Prior to the disaster, many considered the new generations to be incapable of handling responsibility. They were even commonly labeled as quitters. Once the hurricane tore through the city, however, these new generations showcased themselves as being hard-working and responsible.

From that point on, conversations about youth not being able to handle the real-world issues were over. Instead, everyone recognized their potential and saw them as valuable assets to the community. So, social activism is enough to change the cultural atmosphere in a certain region. In translation, people's actions can affect the way that the popular opinion is swayed.

How this applies to Nigeria

At first sight, it may seem like this point has very little to do with Nigeria. After all, it seems like a stretch to connect the actions of the youth in New Orleans to those in Nigeria. Nevertheless, the concept of social activism and its ability to alter common opinions is applicable everywhere in the world.

In Nigeria, for instance, younger generations account for 40% of the overall population. With such numbers, they hold enough power to raise awareness about innumerable issues. Expectedly, they did manage to bring many important topics to the spotlight over the years. For example, it was youth activism that raised awareness about dangerous STDs. Similarly, they also increased the focus on high unemployment rates that were affecting millions of people. Therefore, the ability of younger individuals to affect social injustices is visible in almost every corner of the world.

The Future

Just like New Orleans was able to thrive after the hurricane, Nigeria has a bright future ahead of it. After all, many people support Kingsley Kuku in his belief that the youth is the future. What may seem as semi-important activism is actually foreshadowing the events to come. To better understand that, just glance at how passionate young people from around the world are. And just like they managed to rebuild New Orleans over a decade ago, they will structure a prolific future for other nations!