The Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has urged Nigerian youths to build a great society of brothers and sisters of all tribes and tongues.
Osinbajo said this at the combined convocation ceremony of the Federal University, Wukari, in Taraba State, where he represented the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
He was quoted by his aide, Laolu Akande, as telling the youth to “see the various challenges in our environment as opportunities for the creation of solutions, as we are a nation with a rapidly expanding population with attendant human sustenance needs.
“Let it be your generation that will bury those prejudices, heal those wounds and build a great society of brothers and sisters of all tribes and tongues.
“You belong to a generation of Nigerians ordained by momentous historical circumstances to play on a grander stage. You belong to the most globalised generation ever to walk this earth and your field of competition is not local, but global. You have come of age in the era of a worldwide marketplace of opportunity.
“Refuse to be consumed by the petty prejudices and biases that predispose you to mutual antagonism with your fellow citizens. You must refuse to be prisoners of history and commit to encountering the world with an open mind.”
Noting the impact of young Nigerians in the digital technology space, the Vice President said, “Our tech entrepreneurs and innovators are not just applying their talents to profit-making endeavours, but also seeking to address social problems.”
“Young Nigerians, such as yourselves, are pioneering new patterns of enterprise and wealth creation and, in the process, have established this country as the most vibrant innovation hub on the African continent.”
He added, “There are several unicorns and promising start-ups in Nigeria already… Many of these companies started business in 2015 and prospered in the midst of two recessions and the two years of COVID-19.”