Chidi Odinkalu, a prominent human rights lawyer and former chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, sparked conversation on social media recently with his critical perspective on youth empowerment programs. In a tweet posted on his official X handle, formerly known as Twitter, Odinkalu expressed concerns about the way youth empowerment is framed in Nigeria compared to other parts of the world.
“A good friend reminds me that while the rest of the world addresses work, skill, innovation, and employment, we over here do Youth Empowerment, which infantilizes young people and makes it look like someone is doing young people a favour,” Odinkalu tweeted.
Odinkalu’s criticism centers on the notion that youth empowerment programs, as currently implemented, tend to patronize young people rather than equipping them with the skills and opportunities needed to succeed independently.
The screenshot below shows the tweet of the former Chairman of Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission (Nigeria)….Seë_Morë