Fashola tasks youth on nation building

The Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola on Thursday called on the youth to rise up to the responsibility of nation building, as the future belonged to them.

Fashola made the call during the 81st anniversary, Ikoyi Club 1938 Lecture in Lagos.

Speaking on the topic “Youths and Leadership in Nation Building”, the minister said that there were several opportunities youths must seize locally by taking responsibility, instead of migrating to other countries.

“Have we built that spirit that we will not give up on our country? There is a lot of goodness here in Nigeria, unless you change your mindset, you will not see it,” he said.

Fashola urged youths to change from that mindset of entitlement only to include duties to the nation, to ensure development of the country.

He said that every generation had duties it must carry out and challenged Nigerian youths to take initiative to change trends.

The minister said that youths locally and globally who chose to act to fill leadership vacuum had changed the way things were done in various sectors, lifestyles and livelihoods.

“Youths should have a sense of duty, every generation of youths must understand their duty and rise up to it. That sense of duty and responsibility is what is important.

“Everybody has a space to contribute if we move away from our sense of entitlement,” he said.

Speaking on duty and leadership, he said young people had the responsibility of defending a nation.

He said that the responsibility to build Nigeria fell “squarely on the shoulders of the young people”.

Fashola prayed for God’s blessings on the nation and Ikoyi Club.

“We must applaud government when they do well and not wait till our leaders die to begin to roll out encomiums,” he said.

He said that we are better in Nigeria than we think, while reeling out ugly sides of other countries which they cover up.

Fashola said that several of his mates in law school who ran abroad had returned home.

Leaders of the club earlier took turns to shower accolades and encomiums on the minister, who is also a member of the Ikoyi Club.