It is axiomatic to note that a link exists between youth and nationhood. The productive wheel of the youth becomes an important variable in national development, national unity and stability of the state.
The youth constitutes a fundamental labour force in any society. They constitute the bedrock of societal fabric in terms of change and innovation in the political, economic and social realm. Structurally and functionally, the youth is a reservoir of productiveness that could be likened to raw materials for value addition in the political economy of the state.
The youth are not only leaders of tomorrow but also partners of today, that constitute critical building blocks for the state. Given their numbers, they form the largest human resource in any society yet they remain excluded from designing, planning and implementation of programs.
Nearly 50% of the developing world population is youth and children. There are 1.2 billion 15 – 24 year olds in the world and 1 billion live in developing countries. In Kenya, 75% of the age bracket is between 1 – 30 years. The 2019 census noted that 29% of the country’s population with 6, 504, 514 males and 7, 113, 427 females are youth.
Nation building would imply a process of involving the citizens in the development of the nation. That the citizenry become the civic body of the state structure and drive its functionality. The future and today is placed squarely in the hands of the youth to the extent that State building remains a project of the youth.
National development remains heavily reliant on socialization and internalization of social harmony, infrastructure development and economic growth of the nation. The youth thus are at the core of any country’s progress and it’s important to empower them to competently and adequately contribute to sustainable development.
Why this youth project remains disconnected from state building and nationhood remains a vexing matter. It is against this background that the Department of Political Science and Public Administration has organised this public lecture on “Youth and the Challenges of Nationhood in Kenya/Africa.”
Join us for a virtual public lecture by the Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga on Tuesday, September 7, 2021 from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.
Register through the link below:
