Essay Topic: For many young people in Nigeria, there is an argument that “the future is uncertain.” Why do you think they feel this way? What factors guarantee that someone’s future is certain? What can be done to restore hope for the future in Nigeria?
This essay response was written in a supervised examination hall with a time limit of 90 minutes
I am a young person in Nigeria, and I have heard a lot of people saying, “The future is uncertain”. Why is it so? I think that people feel this way because they didn’t create themselves. I believe that God created all human beings in this world. Before he created us, he had some programmes in his mind for everybody in the world. Since I have started reading the Bible, I have never seen a place in the bible that tells us what our specific future would be. I have also read the Quran, and I have not seen any reference in it that shows the certainty of one’s future. I mentioned the Bible and the Quran because in Nigeria you must either be a Christian, Muslim, or a traditional worshipper. So, I believe that people feel this way because they did not create themselves and they do not know the plan of their creator for their future.
I mentioned the Bible and the Quran because in Nigeria you must either be a Christian, Muslim, or a traditional worshiper. So, I believe that people feel this way because they did not create themselves, and they do not know the plan of their creator for their future.
Another reason why I think they feel this way is because of change. Every human being can change in any manner. I believe that not only human beings change, but change is also common in non-living things. A good example of change in a living creature is a child growing up. The child was once in the womb, then he grew and changed his habitat to the world. At one point, a child may not be able to walk, but as he grows, he will learn how to walk, so I will say that change is constant in all living creatures.
I want to give another explanation of change in a non-living thing. When wood is newly brought, it looks very new and very strong. After 30-40 years, if that same wood is checked again, we will see that the wood has undergone change. It would not look as strong as it was before, and it could never look new, like the day it was bought. Now, we have seen that everything in this world can change, including our future.
If you are going to school, doing everything you are supposed to do, it does not mean that your future is certain because change is a constant presence. A boy who was born with a silver spoon would never expect that he would become a beggar, yet it happens. Change is the most constant thing in this world, and that is why no one’s future is certain, because it can change anywhere, anyhow, and anytime.
There are some factors that guarantee someone’s future to be certain. A factor is “not to be lazy”. If you are lazy and depend on what others have worked for, your future may not be certain because if God wants to bless you, it will be seen that you have worked for it rather than depending on what someone already worked for. That is why I will say that we should not be lazy in any manner because the opportunity that can change your future will come at anytime but if you have done nothing to help yourself, the opportunity will move to another person or even be wasted. Some people may say, “Even if you work, nothing can change your life”. I don’t believe in that saying because another saying says that the “patient dog eats the fattest bone.” So as long as you wait for your opportunity to come, also work and be patient, so whenever God wants to bless you, you will be blessed abundantly, and that blessing can lead to the certainty of your future.
Another factor that can guarantee someone’s future is patience and honesty. Some people’s futures are uncertain because of a lack of patience. If God, as their creator, says that such a person will be successful in the year 2060. The person wouldn’t know, but he may just go into crimes and fraud; then, when the year that he is supposed to be successful comes, the person uses that year for fraud, and his future may become a nuisance because he wasn’t patient enough for his time of success. Also, the fraud can lead to their death unexpectedly, which is why people say the future is uncertain. Not knowing that the person caused it for him/herself.
Another factor that guarantees that someone’s future is certain is dedication to education. Another saying says that “education is the key to success.” It can make a person’s future certain. People mostly say that not everyone will make it through education, and I agree with that, but at least they should have the key ideas of education. Everyone should at least have a school certificate, which shows that he/she completed and finished their basic education. Then, with this, if you have the power and capability to pursue further education, you can proceed with your education at a higher institutional level. After everything involving education in your life, you can start a mini business or even work in companies. Some people will also say that you can start a mini business without education. I also agree with that, but it would have been better if you started that mini business with the education that you have than starting your mini business as an illiterate person. I believe that when you enter a literate person’s shop, the amount of money you want to use to purchase your goods will be different from the amount of money you want to purchase that same good in an illiterate person’s shop because you may be biased against the illiterate person. This illustration demonstrates that there may be a difference between the amount a literate person will gain from his/her customer versus the amount an illiterate person will also gain for the same commodity.
Another thing that we can do to restore our hope is for us not to be influenced by peer pressure. We should not be influenced by those who are better than us, but rather we should work for our own progress, for our future is certain. Most times, the people who influence others live a fake life, pretending to others as if they are enjoying themselves anyhow
There are lots of things that can be done to restore hope for the future in Nigeria. The first thing that can be done to restore the hope of Nigerians is to be very hardworking and skillful. If almost 80% of Nigerians are very hardworking and skillful, our economy will be better, and that means that our future can be certain.
Another thing that we can do to restore our hope is for us not to be influenced by peer pressure. We should not be influenced by those who are better than us, but rather we should work for our own progress, for our future is certain. Most times, the people who influence others live a fake life, pretending to others as if they are enjoying themselves anyhow. An example is we Nigerians getting influenced by the Americans. When we are not influenced and when we work for ourselves, we will be the ones to enjoy more because we have a lot of benefits in this country that other countries do not have, like our gifts of nature that other countries buy from us. When we develop ourselves in this country, and youths are given work to do for them to make money, we will see that everyone’s future will be certain. In Nigeria, if we work together and cooperate, I believe that our futures will be secured and certain because most of the things that bring the downfall of a country are caused by the youths. Also, when youths engage in crimes and kidnapping, it can cause futures to be uncertain, but when they are given jobs to work for, they would not engage in these crimes anymore, so the rate of crime would be reduced, and more futures can be secured and certain.
I, Ojimi Yesufunmilayo, am writing about the situation of things in Nigeria, and I believe that if what I have written is followed strictly, Nigeria would become a better country or even become one of the best countries, and our youths will change the mindset of “our future being uncertain.”Rather, the saying will become “our future being certain”.
I pray God will help us have a certain future.
A.G. Project 