WEDNESDAY COLUMN BY USSIJU MEDANER
info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com
The moral decline of Nigeria’s youth is no longer a theory; it is a reality unfolding before our eyes. Across communities, whether rural or urban, stories of young people descending into addiction, cybercrime, promiscuity, and violence have become disturbingly frequent. Behind this wave of collapse lies a much deeper rot—one rooted in failed parenting, weak governance, neglected cultural foundations, and a value system rapidly giving way to shallow materialism.
A vivid account from an education administrator captures the crisis. “I shut my office door and wept,” she wrote after inspecting an overcrowded hostel housing girls as young as 12, all placed there by their own parents. Among the possessions of these minors were items indicating drug use and rebellion. “This is not just a problem. This is a pandemic,” she concluded. And she is right.
One particularly shocking case involved a teenage student from a comfortable home, expelled for using a N100,000 ritual soap procured from a herbalist. He had borrowed N500,000 and was now a drug peddler. From good homes, yet trapped in darkness. What has gone wrong with our values?
The primary culprit lies in the home. Both Islamic and Christian traditions place the responsibility of moral training squarely on parents. The Qur’an admonishes, “O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones” (Qur’an 66:6). The Bible similarly instructs, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Unfortunately, many Nigerian parents today have abdicated this sacred duty, substituting money for mentorship, phones for presence, and data for discipline. Some even enable the very lifestyles they should be curbing.
The consequences are devastating. Young people now see shortcuts as a way of life—hookups, fraud (locally known as “Yahoo Yahoo”), rituals, and drugs. In today’s Nigeria, it’s not uncommon to hear of youths avoiding trades or education because they would rather pursue fast money. Our society now rewards display over diligence, noise over knowledge.
Government also bears significant responsibility. The Nigerian legal system, through instruments like the 1999 Constitution and the Child Rights Act of 2003, provides mechanisms for child protection and youth development. These include rights to education, protection from abuse, and access to moral development. However, enforcement is often weak. Law enforcement agencies, frequently underfunded or compromised, have been unable to check the wave of youth crime and immorality.
In the face of this, government policies must do more than pay lip service to youth empowerment. Beyond schemes and grants, there should be comprehensive education reform that integrates moral and civic education with practical skills. Young Nigerians must see clear consequences for wrongdoing and meaningful rewards for honesty and hard work.
Our cultural heritage also offers a rich well of moral guidance. In the North, the Hausa-Fulani traditional system emphasized respect, discipline, and communal responsibility. Islamic Shari’a law, widely practiced in the region, is structured to instill moral uprightness from childhood. In the South, Yoruba traditions value elder respect, community, and modesty, while Igbo culture emphasized apprenticeship and hard work. These ancestral frameworks once kept societies cohesive and morally sound. But today, they are being replaced by a celebrity culture that glorifies wealth without work.
Both Christianity and Islam have been corrupted by political influence and prosperity doctrines. Yet, these faiths, at their core, uphold values of honesty, modesty, chastity, and humility. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, “Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock” (Bukhari & Muslim). Jesus Christ taught, “Blessed are the pure in heart… ” (Matthew 5:8). Religious leaders must return to these teachings. Preaching should no longer prioritize miracles over morals.
The media, influencers, and celebrities also shape youth behavior. Unfortunately, many of them glamorize the very things destroying the young—nudity, fraud, reckless spending, and vulgarity. Society must set higher expectations. Platforms that promote obscenity must be regulated, and those who serve as public figures must be held accountable.
What is the way forward? It begins at home. Parents must become present and purposeful again. Check not only your child’s bag but their heart. Talk with them, not at them. Guide them. Be their safe space. As the concerned administrator implores: “Your child doesn’t just need your money; they need your time and voice… Wealth is good, but wisdom, character, and contentment are better.”
Society must revive moral education across schools, mosques, churches, and communities. Cultural values must be revived through festivals, storytelling, and mentorship. The government must prioritize moral leadership and youth engagement. And above all, Nigerians must stop applauding moral compromise and start rewarding integrity.
We cannot save everyone. But we must not give up on the ones we can reach. The Nigerian youth are not just the future—they are our now. Let us not lose them.
