Former Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, has issued a strong warning on the looming danger posed by Nigeria’s growing population of educated but unemployed youth, describing them as a “time bomb” that could threaten national stability if the government fails to provide them with education, skills, and economic opportunities.
Speaking during an interview on The Exchange, hosted by Femi Soneye, Ndoma-Egba said Nigeria’s demographic advantage could easily become a curse if urgent steps are not taken to transform its youthful population into a productive asset. He recalled how the country, once full of post-independence optimism, has steadily declined into institutional weakness and economic disarray.
The former Senate Leader painted a vivid picture of Nigeria’s past industrial vibrancy cited textile factories in Kano and Kaduna, as well as the Bauchi meat factory that supplied the entire West African region lamenting that such industries have disappeared, leaving behind unemployment and insecurity.
According to him, the root of Nigeria’s present crisis lies in its failure to build strong institutions, which he traced to cultural attitudes that discourage citizens from holding authority accountable. “We are too deferential to authority and too timid about questioning it,” he said, stressing that this mindset allows inefficiency and corruption to thrive unchecked.
Ndoma-Egba described the high cost of governance as one of the biggest drains on national development, recalling his days as a young commissioner in the mid-1980s when he first witnessed bureaucratic excesses. “We thought reducing ministries would cut costs, but it only made the few remaining ones overburdened and inefficient,” he explained, adding that inefficiency naturally breeds corruption.
Using the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as an example, Ndoma-Egba said the agency, though well-conceived, was crippled by political interference and administrative instability.
“The NDDC has a master plan, but it has been abandoned,” he lamented. “There are 62 stops for payment approval an arrangement designed to institutionalize inefficiency.”
He revealed that NDDC boards are often dissolved without notice or adherence to due process, a practice that disrupts continuity and accountability. “If we could just allow one board to serve its full tenure as provided by law, we would see planning, stability, and measurable progress,” he added.
Reflecting on his legislative experience, Ndoma-Egba said the National Assembly has long struggled with public mistrust since Nigeria’s return to democracy.
“After decades of military rule, people didn’t understand the purpose of the legislature. They thought democracy could function without it,” he noted, citing the misinformation surrounding the “furniture allowance saga” as a case that worsened public perception.
He linked this mistrust to a broader decline in civic awareness, arguing that governance failure in Nigeria is both cultural and structural. “Our citizens must learn to hold leaders accountable that is the foundation of progress,” he said.
Turning to the youth question, Ndoma-Egba stressed that Nigeria’s greatest resource is its youth, but warned that neglecting them could backfire. “Youth bring innovation, energy, and courage,” he said. “But if they are not educated, not skilled, and not empowered, they become a curse. Even worse, an educated youth without opportunity becomes a threat. An educated armed robber is more dangerous.”
He emphasised that education is the starting point for transformation because it “opens the mind to all kinds of possibilities,” but insisted that education must be matched with opportunity in jobs, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Ndoma-Egba concluded by urging government and stakeholders to return to production and security as the twin pillars of national recovery. “We must produce again; we must secure our nation. Without productivity and safety, there can be no prosperity,” he said.
He warned that unless Nigeria acts urgently to stabilise its institutions and invest deliberately in youth empowerment, the consequences for national stability could be dire.
“The stability of our next generation depends on what we do today,” he cautioned. “We are sitting on a time bomb and only opportunity can defuse it.”
