BY ROSEMARY NWAEBUNI
“ BROKE down and wept bitterly on discovering that my son, who is barely 19 years old, had secretly sold my only piece of land that I have been protecting for years, hoping to build a better home for the family in the future, just to buy the newly released iPhone 17. He sold the land at a ridiculously cheap price and quickly used the money to purchase an iPhone 17, flaunting it proudly among his friends’’, lamented a heartbroken Nigerian father.
‘’You’re just 22 years old, still living in my house without a sustainable means of livelihood, and you’ve gone to buy a car. I consider this a misplaced priority because the acquisition of a car at this stage of your life will not only distract you from establishing a solid financial foundation needed for long-term stability and success, but also place on your shoulders the burden of sustaining this premature social status you’re foisting on yourself,’’ chastised a bewildered father.
These unfortunate scenarios demonstrate how some Nigerian youths have taken certain actions that can only be described as misplaced priorities. Many of them place more value on less significant things like luxury phones and cars than on their future development.
Buying a car or an expensive phone without a steady and sustainable income can very well be a misplaced priority for young people, primarily because it is a significant depreciating asset and a source of numerous expenses, which can hinder their ability to save and invest for long-term financial goals.
The Nigerian population demography is dominated by youths. Approximately 70 per cent of the population is under the age of 30, making it the largest youth population in Africa and one of the largest in the world. Sadly, Nigerian youths do not play any significant role in the politics and economy of this country. The reason can be effectively pinned down to misplaced priorities.
The average Nigerian youth will rather crave for an iPhone, a car and other luxury items than a voter’s card that would empower him to bring about positive change. Even when they participate in political activities, they either play the role of social media attack dogs for politicians who give them peanuts for data to attack their perceived political enemies or act as political thugs who are paid peanuts to unleash mayhem on Election Day. Meanwhile, the children of their pay masters hardly go close to the polling booths but attend the best universities in the world, and when they graduate, they get the best jobs in the country.
Misplaced priority is when someone focuses his or her time, energy or resources on less important things while neglecting or ignoring more critical matters. It is a misalignment between actions and what is truly important, often leading to inefficiency and negative outcomes.
Misplaced priorities among Nigerian youths primarily highlight how youths’ attention can be directed from important issues that concern their socio-economic and political future, towards less consequential matters. While misplacement of priorities by some youths may be taken out of ignorance and youthful exuberance, some of them are actually deliberate acts of pleasurable indulgence, as in the two scenarios painted above.
Unfortunately, many youths exhibit lackadaisical attitudes towards their personal development, civil responsibilities and nation-building. Instead, they are channelling their time, energy and resources into a wide range of unproductive, illicit and even time-wasting ventures and activities.
