Editor’s Note: Youth, Agency and the Future
Rev. Dr Idara Otu, MSP
Youth have a central role to play in the development of every nation. They are the future leaders, innovators, and changemakers. Through the agency of youth, a better future can be realized for the Church and society. The influence of youth is boldly visible in creative and transformative projects around the world, such as the Arab Spring, Orange Revolution, Yellow Revolution, and #EndSARS. These movements have shown the power of youth to mobilise and bring about positive change. In Nigeria, the 2023 General Elections demonstrated unprecedented participation of the youth. This was a sign of hope for a new Nigeria, where youth are determined to change the political and social narrative. Nigerians have been disillusioned, with unfulfilled dreams and hopes, and disappointment in failed leadership and governance. These have led to widespread disaffiliation, as well as pessimism and apathy toward democratic institutions and leaders. However, inspired by the youth, these setbacks have been turned into determination and commitment for a better Nigeria.
As the new editor of the Abuja Journal of Philosophy and Theology (APT), it is my singular honour to present to you our 2023 edition, on the agency of youth in building a new Nigeria. This edition features articles from leading scholars and practitioners on the role of youth in politics, education, religion, and society. It is a timely and important collection, providing insights into the challenges and opportunities facing Nigeria’s youth.
This edition opens with an article by Emeka Xris Obiezu, who discusses the history and dynamics of Nigerian youth participation in politics. He provides a theological interpretation of the 2023 General Elections and discusses the lessons that can be learned from this event for Nigeria, and for the Church. Obiezu proposes appropriate means of protecting, sustaining, and strengthening democracy in Nigeria and Africa. He also offers ways to reposition the Church in Nigeria towards a more effective, compassionate, and prophetic mission of social transformation.
Eric Nenkia Bien further examines the influence of Nigerian youth through an excursus on the philosophy of Utopia. He considers this in the light of various youth movements, and their search for the common good and a better future for society. Bien contends that Utopia does not point to a vague perfection, but rather to a future that is not just better, but visible, realizable, and sustainable. Using the meaning and goals of Utopia, his essay demonstrates how Nigerian youth movements have contributed to birthing the dreams of Nigerians for Nigeria.
In his article, Emmanuel Ojiefor draws insights for Nigerian youth from Christus Vivit, the post-synodal apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis. Ojiefor considers how political mis-governance in Nigeria is driving young people into despair and disillusionment. He argues that the pope’s exhortation offers inspiration for political participation by youth, as well as social action and intergenerational encounter that can transform Nigeria into a nation where fulfilled hopes and dreams are possible. Eugenia Ijeoma Ejiogu, on the other hand, emphasises in her article how the lessons of Christus Vivit apply to the position and function of youth in every society, at the core of human existence and progress. She analyses the difficulties young people in Nigeria face, and suggests solutions to help them realise their full potential. In Nigeria, a nation with a complicated social contradiction of intricate anomie and vast potentialities of young generations, Ejiogu’s essay serves as an example of how Christus Vivit might be understood and contextualized.
William Orbih examines how protest by youth can enrich Christian soteriology. The pursuit of integral human development and social transformation by youth is not inherently ephemeral; it can point to the abundant life promised by Christ. Orbih considers how the concept of collective identity, one of the foremost reasons people protest, is a common strategy protesters use to elicit public participation. He contends that the theology of salvation can elevate protest culture, especially among Christian participants. The fruit of this mutual enrichment is a heightened missiological consciousness.
This edition of APT also features the Inaugural Lecture for the 2022/2023 academic year, by Rev. Fr. Dr. Benjamin Okon, MSP on transitioning from formation to mission. As well, this edition contains the text of the 2023 Annual St. Paul Lecture, by Most. Rev. Dr. Joseph Ekuwem, the Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Calabar. His talk examines the nature of missionary cooperation, and its theological and missiological ramifications for the Church in Nigeria’s pursuit of integral development. In addition, there are synopses of two outstanding theses from the 2021/2022 academic year. The most outstanding in philosophy is Isaac Ujeh’s “An Evaluation of Jean William Fritz Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory,” and the most outstanding in theology is Josiah Ezenkwu’s “The Catechetical Duty of the Nigerian Pastor: A Study of John 21:15–19.”
Further, members of the editorial board are profoundly grateful to Rev. Fr. Dr. Raymond Aina, MSP, for his remarkable leadership, academic discipline, and creative innovation in leading the mission of APT for the past nine years. We wish him God’s abundant blessing in his new responsibilities and future academic endeavours. We welcome the newly elected members of the editorial board, as we commit ourselves to sustaining the vision and ideals of APT. Many Nigerians will remember how the Nigerian youth participated in politics and social change during the 2023 General Elections. Although the recent election outcome may not have been what many Nigerians desired, the strength of Nigerian youth may be summed up in the Ethiopian adage, “When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” Building a transformational future for a new Nigeria is a collective task of Nigerians, already inaugurated by the youth. Nigeria’s youth are a potent force. They possess knowledge, enthusiasm, and drive. They dare to speak out boldly for their beliefs and seek change for a just, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
