Media aide to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, Lere Olayinka, has urged members of Generation Z to cease portraying Nigeria as a rustic tormented by hunger, arguing that technological development has created new financial alternatives for Nigerians.
Olayinka mentioned Nigeria had made progress through the years, significantly in leveraging know-how to create jobs and allow individuals to earn a dwelling by way of digital platforms and social media.
He made the remarks whereas talking on Democracy Today, a programme on the African Independent Television (AIT).
According to him, some younger Nigerians understand the nation’s financial state of affairs otherwise as a result of they grew up relying on their dad and mom for fundamental wants and are solely now experiencing the challenges of offering for themselves.
He mentioned, “When they were growing up, they didn’t know how Nigeria was. Their parents were providing for them. Now they have seen; they have to provide for themselves.”
Olayinka argued that regardless of the financial difficulties Nigerians are experiencing, the nation has recorded enhancements, significantly in know-how and the alternatives it presents people to earn earnings.
He illustrated the adjustments by evaluating the challenges journalists confronted in transmitting information reviews previously with the benefit of sharing content material by way of digital platforms right now.
“Imagine when you started journalism now, for you to send your story, do you know how… Technology has made a lot of things a lot different,” he mentioned.
Recounting his expertise within the media trade, Olayinka defined that journalists beforehand needed to journey lengthy distances to transmit tv reviews, generally counting on bodily tapes and transport companies to ship their work to broadcast stations.
“For us to send visuals, when I was working with… I know I used to travel by road from Bauchi to Jos to be able to uplink the stories,” he mentioned.
He added, “You need to go and give VHS cassettes to somebody at the park, to take to AIT, and that person will come from Malagba to come and collect it.”
The presidential aide mentioned technological development had since remodeled how individuals work and earn cash, noting that people might now create digital content material, livestream, and earn earnings from dwelling.
“Now, technology has even provided jobs for a lot of people, things that were not available to us growing up. I know people now that sit in their house, do content, be on one social media app, do live streaming, they get money,” he mentioned.
The FCT minister’s aide additionally questioned what he described because the persistent narrative that Nigerians have been experiencing starvation, arguing that financial hardship shouldn’t overshadow proof of particular person enterprise and improvement.
“Let us not keep this mindset of telling people there is hunger, there is hunger, there is hunger,” he mentioned.
He additional cited individuals constructing homes and interesting in financial actions as examples of Nigerians making progress regardless of prevailing considerations about the price of dwelling.
Olayinka additionally famous that homelessness existed in developed international locations, arguing that financial difficulties weren’t unique to Nigeria.
He maintained that the federal government’s main accountability was to create an enabling atmosphere for residents to pursue financial alternatives and enhance their livelihoods.
“The only thing the government can do is to provide an enabling environment,” he mentioned.
His feedback come amid ongoing public considerations over the price of dwelling, meals affordability, and the financial challenges going through households throughout Nigeria.
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