The Vice-President of the Republic of India, Mohammed Hamid, yesterday at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), charged the federal government to recognise its enormous responsibilities in shaping the future of the country.
Hamid, who stated this in a lecture at the University of Lagos, entitled Legacy of Indian Freedom Movement,’ said: “Nigeria and India, as large developing countries with multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-lingual societies, have enormous responsibilities within their countries and in shaping the future of their region and beyond.
“Our youth, with 60% Nigerians under the age of 25 years and more than two-thirds of India’s 1 .2 billion population under the age of 35 years, are our strength. We have a great opportunity to work together to channelize this demographic dividend.”
He disclosed that Nigerian youths in India were contributory and constituting their strength, considering their size.
Hamid, who urged the youths to have a sense of history, said that natural experiences could have relevance beyond borders in a fast shrinking world.
‘’Youth should know that the environment that encourages their aspirations was built on the sacrifice and toil of others before them,’’ he said.According to him, legacies do endure but no legacy, however, strong can last forever, adding that legacy tended to erode and become irrelevant unless reinforced and developed.
He further charged youths to emulate the legacies of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi of India, Nelson Mandela of South Africa, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Aminu Kano of Nigeria who positively influenced their generations.
He said: ‘’India was blessed that a set of people of incredible talent and wisdom graced the period marking our struggle.
‘’The possessed moral integrity of the highest order; the tallest among them was Mohanda Karamchand Gandhi, whose singular efforts transformed the struggle from a campaign by the elites into a true mass movement.’’
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