The word empower means to give power or authority to individuals. It entails getting the people most importantly the youths involved in poverty alleviation processes for improved standard of living. The commonwealth sees young people aged 15-29 as assets to a country’s development who should be empowered to realize their potentials. The opposite is the case in Nigeria, youths are not being reckoned with but are fast becoming liabilities to the nation. For empowerment to be effective, various mechanisms must be put to work to make things easier for those being empowered such as control of inflation, making the economy conducive for investment, improving security, provision of infrastructural facilities and also making education and training affordable to the people. According to Commonwealth.org, the commonwealth’s 54 member countries have a combined population of more than 2billion, of which more than 60% are under 30 years of age.
We are in a changing world where there is a need to account for human intellectualism as a tool towards self-dependency and the avoidance of over dependent on foreign super powers. The success of a nation depends on the intellectual capability of its people and there is a need to empower the youths in order to be able to channel their energy into positive things.