By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Professor of political economy, Pat Utomi has said Nigerian youths today have greater reasons to be angry than his generation had 50 years ago, citing the pervasive deprivation, despair and hopelessness confronting young people in the country.
Utomi made the remarks on Monday via his X handle account @UtomiPat while reflecting on his experience at a Big Tent meeting with young Nigerians, saying the encounter reminded him of his own youth and the activism of his generation in the 1970s.
He said although young people of his generation were also angry and frequently took to the streets in protest, they enjoyed significantly better opportunities and prospects than Nigerian youths today.
“Feeling the pulse of the young people at the Big Tent meeting reminded me of myself 50 years ago. We used to be quite angry then, but today’s youth have more reasons to be angry,” Utomi said.
According to him, when he was an undergraduate, Nigeria had only five universities, but students were “spoiled with privilege” and enjoyed a period when the future appeared exceptionally bright.
“Today is marked by acute lack of everything. Back then the future looked so bright we needed sunglasses. Today, despair and hopelessness mark this present darkness,” he said.
The economist and political activist recalled that his generation often protested against perceived injustices and could return home safely after demonstrations.
He cited an incident on February 6, 1974, when a group of protesting students at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, led by Bassey Ekpo Bassey, ended up in front of the Vice-Chancellor’s Lodge.
Utomi said the wife of the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kodilinye, offered the protesting students tea and snacks despite the country being under military rule.
“On one occasion, on February 6, 1974, a group of us protesting students led by Bassey Ekpo Bassey at UNN ended up in front of the VC’s Lodge and the wife of Prof Kodilinye offered us tea and snacks. That was under military rule,” he recalled.
Contrasting the experience with contemporary Nigeria, Utomi criticised the use of force against protesters under civilian administrations, referencing the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
“Today a civilian government sends troops to massacre the children as we saw in EndSARS,” he said.
Despite acknowledging the anger among the young people he encountered at the Big Tent meeting, Utomi said he was impressed by their restraint and self-control.
“I was impressed that with the rage inside them, the young I met with managed to be self-controlled,” he said.
He, however, noted that some of the participants came from major management consulting firms, but maintained that they remained connected to the realities and concerns of ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots.
