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32 

FORMATION OF THE YOUTH AND ITS 

IMPLICATIONS ON NATIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT 
 

Osamede Christopher, OSAWARU 
Department of Philosophy, 

University of Benin, Benin-City, 
Edo State, Nigeria. 

chrisosawaru4@gmail.com, christopher.osawaru@uniben.edu 
 

 
Abstract 
It is often said that today’s youth are tomorrows’ leaders. The youths are 
the pillars upon which the success, progress and prosperity of a nations’ 
future are built. When their strengths and potentials and creativity are 
properly harnessed, they are great assets to any nation. Youths are the 
major human capital (resources) hence the need to channel their 
energies accordingly and dissipate it appropriately for the benefit of the 
nation and humanity as a whole. Today’s youths are faced with the 
challenge of coping with an ever broadening spectrum of influences on 
decision making and behavior. These influences stem from the home, 
peer pressure, the media, technological advancement and the society and 
they have negative effects on their growth and development. The youth 
cannot be who they ought to be without the gentle and loving guidance 
of everyone charged with the responsibility of molding their lives. The 
manifestations of uncivilized acts among the youths are as result of the 
missing link in the execution of these responsibilities. This paper is an 
attempt to provide a philosophical investigation into the formation of the 
youth with a view of emphasizing the need to harness the potentials of 
these youths for national development. The paper argues that everyone 
charged with the responsibility of contributing to the formation of the 
youth are stakeholders in this onerous task and it is justifiable and 
rational for all hands to be on deck. The paper adopted an expository 
method of philosophical inquiry 
 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    433 

Keywords: Youth, Youth formation, Development, National 
development, Human capital, Stakeholders. 
 
Introduction 
It is often said that ‘today’s youth are tomorrows’ leaders. They are our 
future leaders because they will outlive today’s leaders. Historically, this 
is essentially true. They are the pillars upon which the success, progress 
and prosperity of a nations’ future are built. When their strength, 
potentials and creativity are properly harnessed, they are great assets to 
any nation. But when their abilities are not properly channeled, they can 
become a great danger to themselves and the society. This is the reason 
every nation that hopes to remain relevant in future must give priority to 
the formation, development and training of its youths. There will be no 
success without a successor. 

However, it is imperative that the cliché that youths are the 
leaders of tomorrow go beyond mere platitudes and words to action. 
Efforts must be made to ensure that it actually become a reality because 
the youths are special breeds with unique abilities to drive positive and 
lasting change in every facet of life. But in order for them to maximize 
their potentials and get to the peak of their abilities, they need to be 
adequately equipped today. 

The older generation has the responsibility to prepare the 
younger ones for their future relevance, first by their examples and then 
by helping the youths understand their calling and future responsibilities. 
Parents, schools, religious organizations, the society and the government 
are the stakeholders who have special tasks in making the youths ready 
for the future; to equip them with skills, knowledge and support needed 
to take advantage of the opportunities of the modern world and make 
their societies a better place to the benefit of humanity. 

Parents are the primary care givers of their children, the training 
and development of the youths should begin at home. It is the home that 
morals are first inculcated and characters moulded. The Holy Bible for 
Christians stated that “Train up a child in the way he should go; and 
when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). This 
places enormous responsibilities on parents because parental care and 
guidance are major cornerstones in the formation process of every child. 
The school should also help in preparing the youth for the future by 
preparing them mentally and intellectually so that they can adequately 
meet the challenge of this century. Education remains an essential key to 
ensuring a brighter future. Therefore, the government should make the 
education of the youth a priority. Beyond this, it should also create an 
enabling environment for young people to actualize their dreams 
through its policies and programmes.  



434 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

It is axiomatic therefore to posit that there is a linkage between 
youth formation and national development. This intercourse is not only 
symbiotically connected; but, one depends on the other for its 
sustenance. Therefore, the role of youth on national development cannot 
be over emphasized. The wheel of development of any country lies on 
the shoulder of how productive and creative the youthful populations 
are. The youth in any society are the engine of growth and development; 
because, they provide the labour force for production of goods and 
service to take effect. And also, are the critical masses of people, whose 
action and inaction can develop or destroy the hegemonies/fabrics of 
their society. The thrust of this paper is to expose the role of various 
stakeholders in the formation of the youths using a simple analytical 
survey, this paper tries to examine how youths could be helped to 
develop skills that can enhance their abilities and also achieve a 
promising future for themselves. 

 
Conceptual Clarifications 
Who is a Youth? 
The word “youth” has a relatively clear connotation but for the purpose 
of this article, it is important we proceed with a clarification of the notion 
of a youth. There is no universal definition of the youth population. 
“Youths” is traditionally defined as a period of transition from childhood 
to adulthood. According to Chambers Dictionary, a youth is a person 
between childhood/adolescents and maturity, from this, it could be 
deduced that a youth is a young person still going through the process of 
formation or development. This starts right from conception through 
childhood and adolescence to maturity, if this is ever fully achieved.  

In the African Youths Report 2009 (UNECA 2009), “youths” are 
defined as people between 15 and 39 years of age. However, several 
African countries define their youth population differently. For example, 
Ghana, Tanzania and South Africa define the youth population as those 
between 15 and 35 years of age; Nigeria and Swaziland define it as those 
between 12 and 30 years; and Botswana and Mauritius define it as those 
between 14 and 25 years.1 These varying definitions of the youth 
population make it difficult to effectively discuss issues affecting youths 
in Africa generally and to compare information across countries. The age 
band used in the AYR is too wide because it is generally agreed that 
people in their 30s are adults, and hence not part of those youths who are 
in transition to adulthood.  

For statistical purposes, the United Nations (2011d) defines 
youths as “those aged 15 to 24 years.”2 Although arbitrary, this is the age 
group that has been recognized internationally as “Youths.” Though 
generally acceptable and preferable, its implementation often poses 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    435 

problems because the data for different countries are not provided using 
this definition. For example, population data are commonly presented in 
five-year age bands or presented for children (below 15 years) and for 
adults (15 years and above). Similarly, labor market data are typically 
presented for adults (16–64 years).3  

A problem with this attempt at defining a youth however is that 
while we are reasonably sure that the process of formation, employed to 
define who a youth is, begins right from childhood, we are not sure if 
and when this process stops and maturity is fully attained. Indeed, there 
are two important questions we need to address in this regard. It relates 
to when childhood starts. Is it from conception, from birth or a certain 
point after birth? At least, it is obvious that development characterizes 
the life of each individual right from conception. Without unnecessarily 
belabouring the issue of when childhood commences we may safely put 
this at immediately after conception. A reason for this position is that we 
observe in individual persons marked signs of growth, especially physical 
growth, right from birth with manifestations of other forms of growth 
(intellectual, emotional, spiritual and cognitive following as the child 
develops physically. 

The second question is “is there any point in the life of the 
human person that he/she finally achieves maturity and ceases from 
growing and developing?’ From the legal perspective, the age of 
maturity/adulthood is located between the age of eighteen and twenty-
one in virtually all countries. But, one fact that we can hardly contest is 
that the process of growth and development extends far beyond the age 
bracket of eighteen and twenty-one. Thus, if maturity is to be 
understood as the point at which the process of growth and development 
terminates and maturity is fully attained then it is obvious that this 
cannot be rightly located between the age of eighteen and twenty-one. 
Besides, it is very much doubtful that we can identify a definite age at 
which persons attain maturity, understood as the age of full growth and 
development. Thus, the problem with the attempt to define a youth in 
terms of the period and the process of development is that these vary 
from person to person. The process might even continue in some 
individuals from childhood, far beyond what people would ordinarily 
want to consider as the period of youthfulness and extend to what is 
described as the middle or even the old age. 

There is really no period in human life that development cannot 
and as a matter of fact, does not take place in ones aspect of life or the 
other. Given this understanding, if we are to retain our conception of the 
youth being marked by the period and process of growth, then it might 
be helpful to extend the concept to include anyone who appreciates the 
need for growth, seeks for growth or is actually growing in areas that are 



436 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

crucial for both personal and social development. However, for our 
purpose, a youth can be defined as a person who is still in his/her 
formative years, undergoing character modeling, personality 
development and sometimes receiving training that has to do with 
human capacity development. “The youth therefore could be influenced 
by whatever transpires in and around his/her environment because 
he/she learns through observation and experience”.4 (Adeyemo & Co) 

 
The Concept of Development 
There is no agreement as to what development is. There are various 
aspects as to what constitutes development; however common to all is a 
positive change in human wellbeing. The individual and his quality of 
life must be the center of the conception of national development, for 
the purpose of this paper; the youth must be equipped to contribute their 
own quota to the development of the nation. The term development 
could be used interchangeably with evolution depending on the contexts 
in which it is being used, either positively or negatively to refer to 
situations, trends, or issues.   

Development, ordinarily means “man’s effort to make the 
necessary impact on nature; his environment, and on himself with a view 
to transforming and improving himself and his environment”5 (Nwafor, 
2006).  It is clear therefore that development and improvement are 
synonymous.  When something has been made to wear a new look from 
what it was before, we can say that a development has taken place.  The 
words “growth” and expansion” are coterminous with development, and 
they suggest positive development.  These words equally denote progress 
being made from one stage to another, which do not denote negative 
development like retardation, degeneration or decline. Development is 
the progressive realization of capabilities, abilities and talents of each 
individual for his /her own satisfaction and enhancement of the social 
good. 

Development in a wider context deals with socio-economic and 
political life of the society; it connotes the fulfillment, realization or 
actualization of goals and objectives, hopes and aspirations of that society.  
The process of actualization begins when a society recognizes its 
inadequacies, and sets goals for itself, and decides to make deliberate 
efforts to remedy perceived deficiencies in order to attain desired goals.6 

(Nwafor, 2006). In this regard, Nyerere in Ezimah (2004) views 
development as having an emancipator goal, i.e., it liberates man from 
shackles of ignorance, superstition and oppression in all its 
ramifications.7 Consequently, all forms of development have to some 
extent a reasonable dose of educational process.  For that reason, the 
development of the intellectual frontiers of the individual youth cannot 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    437 

be left untouched.  By extension therefore, the development of the 
individual’s intellectual capacity and capability empowers him/ her 
socially, economically and politically; thereby giving him not only a sense 
of self-fulfillment, but also a sense of belonging and commitment to the 
overall development of society. 

Development entails more than the economic aspect of people 
lives. A significant development in a country like Nigeria must take into 
account man as a whole and not just an aspect of him. This supports the 
notion of subjecting development to multidisciplinary interpretation and 
usage, these various perceptions only contribute to showing the richness 
as well as the problems associated with the concept of development. The 
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) distinguishes between 
two sides of development. One is the formation of human capabilities 
and the other is the use people make of their acquired capabilities. This 
implies that development could be at the level of individual and also at 
the level of the society. 

Development is a multidimensional process involving the totality 
of man in his political, economic, psychological, social relations, among 
others. Development is not a completed affair; it is an on-going process. 
Thus people are the objects of development. It must involve among 
other things the eradication of certain human -demeaning social 
phenomena, such as poverty, illiteracy, lowlife expectancy; development 
should be the creation and maintenance of livelihood opportunities.  

Development is a social concept standing for the process through 
which human beings strive to improve the conditions of their lives. 
Development is not an abstraction; it is a process of social 
transformation, which involves the replacement of those factors that 
inhibit the capacity of the individual for self-direction and the promotion 
of social cooperation with those which promote these ideals. In short, it 
is a process whose essence concerns the quality of life of the people. 
 
National Development  
The term national development is a term that refers to a sustainable 
growth and development of a nation to a more desirable one. National 
development is people oriented and its success is evaluated in terms of 
the impact it has had in improving the lot of the masses. True 
development must mean the development of man, the unfolding and 
realization of his creative potentials, enabling him to improve his 
material conditions of living through the use of resources available to 
him. It is a process by which man’s personality is enhanced, and it is this 
enhanced personality and creativity, organized and disciplined- which is 
the moving force behind the socioeconomic transformation of any 
society. According to Onabajo and M’Bayo (2009), says ‘national 



438 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

development should be man oriented and not institution oriented, that 
is, individually in collectiveness and not individual.8 To Elugbe, (1994), 
‘national development refers among other things, to the growth of the 
nation in terms of unity, education, economic well-being and mass 
participation in government.9 In summary development entails the 
provision of all the necessary materials and equipment’s that will 
guarantee that man in every society make a living and essence out of life.  

Anaeto and Anaeto (2010) citing Todaro and Smith (2003), 
identified three objectives of development which are; 1. Increase 
availability and widen the distribution of basic life sustaining goods such 
as food, shelter, health and protection. 2. To raise levels of living in 
addition to higher incomes, the provision of more jobs, better education, 
and greater attention to cultural and human values, all of which will 
serve not only to enhance material well-being but also to generate greater 
individual and national self-esteem and 3. To expand the range of 
economic and social choices available to individuals and nation by freeing 
them from servitude and dependence, not only in relation to other 
people and nation states but also to the forces of ignorance and human 
misery.10 Development is the socio-cultural, political, economic and the 
spiritual well-being of a society. In a truly developed state there is 
assurance of good quality of life, exercise of all human rights, and 
freedom to participate in the democratic process. From the foregoing, 
development implies enhanced quality of life, equity and justice, as it 
takes into consideration the wellbeing, growth and advancement of 
individuals within the society. 

National development could be described as the process of 
putting in place all it require for a nation  state to stand on its own as an 
independent autonomous state.it entails more than the economic aspect 
of people lives. A significant development in a country like Nigeria must 
take into account man as a whole and not just an aspect of him. This 
supports the notion of subjecting development to multidisciplinary 
interpretation and usage, these various perceptions only contribute to 
showing the richness as well as the problems associated with the concept 
of national development. The United Nations Development Program 
(UNDP) distinguishes between two sides of development. One is the 
formation of human capabilities and the other is the use people make of 
their acquired capabilities. This implies that development could be at the 
level of individual and also at the level of the society. 

National development is a multidimensional process involving 
the totality of the nation in its political, economic, psychological, social 
relations, among others. National development is not a completed affair; 
it is an on-going process. Thus people are the objects of national 
development. It must involve among other things the eradication of 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    439 

certain human -demeaning social phenomena, such as poverty, illiteracy, 
lowlife expectancy, national development should be the creation and 
maintenance of livelihood opportunities amongst the citizens that makes 
up such nation. Such process includes training and retraining of the 
human resources. The aim is to harness and exploit the available 
resources in the country. In most cases, the training is focused majorly 
on areas of critical needs at a particular point in time. National 
development means the conscious, deliberate and concerted effort made 
by people to address the fundamental needs or issues of their 
nationhood. 
 
Human Capital Development  
Human capital development was described as an end or objective of 
development. It is a way to fulfill the potential of people by enlarging 
their capabilities, and this necessarily implies empowerment of people, 
enabling them to participate actively in their own development. Human 
capital development is also a means since it enhances the skills, 
knowledge, productivity and inventiveness of people through a process 
of human capital formation broadly conceived. Thus, human capital 
development is a people centered strategy, and not goods centered or 
production centered strategy of development. What really matters is the 
empowerment of people to identify their own priorities and to 
implement programmes and projects of direct benefit to them. This in 
turn implies the active participation of people in the development 
process and the consequent need to construct institutions that permit 
and indeed encourage that participation.  

In human capital development, education and health are 
essential. Education is concerned with the cultivation of “the whole 
person” including intellectual, character and psychomotor development. 
It is the human resources of any nation, rather than its physical, capital 
and material resources, which ultimately determine the character and 
pace of its economic and social development. According to Harbison, 
Human resources constitute the ultimate basis for the wealth of nations. 
Capital and natural resources are passive factors of production; human 
beings are the active agents who accumulate capital, exploit natural 
resources, build social, economic and political organization, and carry 
forward national development. A country which is unable to develop the 
skills and knowledge of its people and utilize them effectively for 
national progress will be unable to develop anything else.11 (Harbison, 
1973, p.3).  

Education occupies an important place in most plans for 
economic and social development. Whichever way one looks at it, the 
education sector is important in human development as a supplier of the 



440 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

trained manpower and it is a prerequisite for the accomplishment of 
other development goals. Also, it is the main sector through whose 
national identity goals and aspirations are given meaning and reality 
among the people.  
 
The Uniqueness of Youthfulness 
The youthful age is the most exciting, active, dynamic period of one’s 
life. This stage of life is characterized by physical strength, dreams of a 
great future, a quest for adventure and acquisition of knowledge and 
experience. At this stage, one can achieve the best in life. The average 
youth is full of life and dreams; they want to try new things. In a way, 
these are advantageous to them because this penchant to discover, create 
and try new things can be channeled towards productivity. Besides some 
great innovations in the world today were pioneered by young people 
who were curious, passionate and adventurous; young men and women 
who dared to dream. If the youths are well guided and mentored, they 
will discover their God-given potentials and channel those potentials 
towards problem solving. They will not only be useful to themselves and 
their families, they will also be making substantial inputs to national 
development. History is replete with youths who have contributed 
immensely to the progress of their countries. So many discoveries and 
inventions have been made by young minds. 

Sixteen years old Olivia Hallisely discovered a way to detect 
Ebola in less than thirty minutes compared to the current method that 
takes up to twelve hours to get results.12 Cancer survivor, Kylie Simonds, 
designed a stylish backpack that allows children taking chemotherapy 
intravenously to move around without having to carry IV poles along. 
Kylie was only thirteen when she invented the backpack,13 four Nigerian 
high school students all under age 15 years, devised a “urine-powered” 
generator that can supply six hours uninterrupted electricity with one 
liter of processed urine.14 These are ingenious minds and they are just 
few of the countless numbers of dynamic youths in our generation. 
Youths are unique; they should constantly be reminded of that and be 
encouraged to be at their best before this stage of their lives passes by. . 
For example according to the 2006 census, the youthful population 
constituted over 70% of the Nigerian population. Therefore, this 
quantum of population is a great asset for the Nigerian state if they are 
harnessed and utilized in the right direction. Interestingly, the transition 
of society from one generation to another is critical to the formative and 
developmental aspiration of such society. This is why society that 
prepares their youth for the sake of future aspiration will not only secure 
her future development; but, will prepare her next set of leaders with the 
challenges of national reconciliation and development.   Hence, the 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    441 

formation of youth has its implications on national development and is 
sacrosanct to the whole developmental aspiration of any society. The 
youth are the cornerstone to societal rejuvenation. Societies are not only 
recreated through the youthful population, but, youth are often referred 
to as leaders of tomorrow. 
 
Youth and Education 
Education is a process of learning and development the process is 
embarked upon with the objective of facilitating intellectual and moral 
development in individuals so as to make the youth become productive 
members of the society. This process of education involves the 
transmission of values and accumulated knowledge. It assists individuals 
to fashion out, pursue and actually achieve their life goals. Whether 
formal or informal, its basic objective is to unleash a person’s potentials 
and develop knowledge skills and socially desirable and useful 
behavioural patterns. While formal education is acquired in schools, 
informal education takes place through everyday experiences and actual 
relationships with people around you. 

In our effort to define who a youth is, the process of 
development stands out as an essential element. This suggests that 
education understood as a process of learning and designed to facilitate 
development on youths and the prospect of their development. As a 
result, an appropriate system of education must facilitate the “holistic 
enhancement of the youths” and this is essential to overcome the 
growing doubts Africa’s prospects of developing in a increasing 
competitive world. 
Education of the youths should go beyond mere economic 
empowerment in order to earn a living, it must also enhance the capacity 
of all to exert a regenerating and creative moral vibration on the social 
system, this is highly essential to regenerate the social system and cleanse 
it of much of the … afflicting it today. 

For Onyechere Anyiam-Osigwe, holistic education must result 
in the spiritual, moral, economic and socio-political enhancement of 
both the youth and the society as a whole, he contends that the collapsing 
moral fibre of society, which according, to him is worse in countries 
reputed to be educationally advantaged is due to the neglect of the 
primordial essence of education” 15which is instill moral order in the 
individual. The ultimate end of education is to produce good people and 
good members of the society. In his words, “the primordial essence of 
education is to reawaken the moral order inherent in the human essence: 
that is mould the individual in a manner that ensures that he or she 
becomes a good member of his tribe or community. 



442 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

Education is the most crucial secular activity for national 
development the education of the youth is the highest secular investment 
that can ever be made because it empowers the youth to be great 
achievers and leaders. According to Eleanor Roosevett, “education is 
essential to good citizenship and that education is important to life 
because it enables people to contribute to their country and their 
community. Education equally helps to reform the youths’ interpersonal 
relationship. Hence, the youth should be encouraged to socialize and 
keep healthy relationships to ensure a balanced social life. Also it should 
be inculcated in the youth values that will prepare them for leadership. 
Some of these values include: courtesy, humility, hospitability, 
compassion, generosity, patience, diligence, sense of responsibility and 
friendliness. A balanced life is crucial for personal success and peace of 
mind. Helping youths to balance their secular activities will make them 
more relevant in the society. 
 
Stakeholders in Youth Formation 
In general sense, the term “stakeholder” means any person or group that 
has a vested interest in a matter. The stakeholder  can affect or be 
affected by the results of that which he /she is said to be a stakeholder, 
that is that in which he or she has a stake. The stakeholder temporarily 
owns the project or the business he/ she is involved in while is owner is 
still being determined. There are various stakeholders responsible for the 
upbringing and training of the youth: the school, the parent, the society, 
the government and religious organization .Though all these agencies of 
youth development are expected to mould different aspect of the youth’s 
life so that he/ she will grow up to become the person he/she is meant to 
be, their responsibilities are intertwined.  

The youth world is interesting and challenging. It is a world 
filled with potentials and opportunities waiting to be explored and 
developed for wonderful results. Everywhere in the world, the great 
potentials of the young population which is about half of the world’s 
population are recognized. This is why so much should be committed to 
ensuring that these potentials are fully tapped and developed because 
therein lies the strength, growth and development of every nation. 
Sadly, many young people fail to recognize the great potentials that they 
have and the wonderful future that lies ahead of them if these 
opportunities are properly harnessed and utilized. Many of them are 
overwhelmed in the euphoria and ecstasy of their age which blindfolds 
them to the realities of life. Others go on without awakening from the 
stupor their fantasies had drawn then into; thus wasting whole lives filed 
with untapped potentials. Some wake up too late to realize that they had 
wasted a good part of their lives that would definitely have made them 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    443 

better than what they are and have to struggle so hard to come to terms 
with the realities of life. 

What this shows is that while the “youth world” has wonderful 
opportunities, it is also filled with dangers that tend to hamper and 
undermine some youths. To be able to go through this stage and 
maximally utilize their potentials, the youth need guidance, this is what 
has informed this aspect of the article, the youth cannot be who they 
ought to be without the loving and gentle guidance of everyone charged 
with the responsibilities of moulding their lives. Parents, guidance, 
religious organizations, government, youth workers, teachers and all 
adults are stakeholders in this business and hands must be on deck to 
raise great youths. 

 
i. The Home/Parent/Guardians. 
Parents are major stakeholders in youth formation because of their 
natural affinity with their children. They are traditionally the ultimate 
caregivers who invest most, if not all, of their time on their children. It is 
easier to build a child than to repair an adult; that is why child’s training 
should begin very early. Children learn how to act in the world by what 
they see others do and they learn about controlling aggression through 
adults hence, good parenting is the key to prevent juvenile delinquency. 
However, because of unavailability of and neglect by parents in most 
homes, many youths have been driven to the street by negative and 
external influences. The dramatic increase in the number of working 
class mothers with very young children has definitely left a “gaping hole” 
in the home. Today many children are left to their own devices often 
relying on TV and computers as babysitters or nannies. Breakups in 
families, child abuse and bad examples of parents are also negatively 
affecting the lifestyles and behaviours of youth. 

The home is the first school any child attends and the parents or 
guardians are their first teachers. A child physical, mental, emotional and 
spiritual development begins here. Consequently, parents should 
endeavor to promote and support all-round growth and development of 
their children at every stage of life. A child that is well trained will live a 
happy, healthy and fulfilled life, while a child that is not well groomed 
will grow up living a lopsided life, becoming a liability to his parents and 
the nation. The Holy Bible commands parents to “train up a child in the 
way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it” 
(Proverbs 22:6) it therefore behoves the parents to adequately train and 
prepare their youths for a blessed future both on earth and in eternity. 

 
 
 



444 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

ii. The Government/School 
The school trains the child mentally to make him/her literate or 
educated, and be able to make impact in this world as they grow up. The 
youth is the future of the world, tomorrow’s people and the new 
inspiration, and the school prepares the youth mentally for the future. 
However, the school is not only to make the youth intellectually capable 
to meet the challenges of and fit into this fast moving world, but also 
expected to impart moral lessons into them. This can be fully achieved 
through education. No doubt education is the backbone of national 
development; it equips people with knowledge and skills that bring about 
economic wealth, social prosperity and political stability in a nation.  

The government should endeavour to build more schools, provide 
free and quality education, especially for the less privileged. Youth 
empowerment programmes should be organized from time to time. 
Besides classrooms activities, schools should provide avenues for youth 
to interact with their peers and teachers so that they can develop 
communication and healthy relationship skills. The government through 
its policies helps all other agencies to do their jobs and achieve their set 
goals by coordinating their operations. These two agencies of formation 
play vital roles in the shaping of the lives of the youths.   

 
iii. Religious Organisation 
This play an important role in maintaining and helping the youths 
achieve their divine purpose. The goal of the religious organization is to 
help the youth established a relationship with God, teach them how to 
abide in the Lord and serve God in love and reverential fear. To do this, 
youth workers must be passionate and patient. They should come down 
to the level of the youth and befriend them.  They should seek to 
understand their situation before criticizing and judging them, visit them 
in their homes, show interest in their well being, provide the shoulder 
they can cry on, and see about helping them out with whatever challenge 
is confronting them. The adults in these religious organizations should 
always resist the temptation to get into any kind of tussle with youths. 
They shouldn’t approach them with an attitude that says, “We are adults 
and we know it all, you must listen because we are adults”. They 
wouldn’t be able to impact these youths with this kind of attitude. They 
should show them love, intercede for them, but don’t hesitate to correct 
them when necessary. Above all, they should provide mentorship and 
live an exemplary life.  
 
Developing Essential Life Skills for Youth Formation 
Life skills are those abilities that will help the youth adapt and thrive in a 
world that is filled with daunting demands, they are the skills needed by 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    445 

the youth to make the most out of their life often seen as a way to 
manage and maintain a quality life. Life skills will help the youths attain 
life’s goal and give them an edge over peers and competitors. Any youth 
who understands the importance and the use of these skills and 
synchronizes them with educational dexterity will be outstanding. 
Experience has shown that there is often a great mismatch between what 
is taught in class and the realities of life. It is observed also that most 
graduates lacks employability skills such as team work, skills, 
communication skills and the ability to cope under pressure. The onus is 
deliberately on the youth to learn these skills and be taught these skills. 

Someone once said the most important skills one should have are 
the ability and willingness to learn “By learning new skills we increase 
our understanding of the world around us and equip ourselves with the 
tools we need to live a more productive and fulfilling life finding ways to 
cope with the challenge that life inevitably throws at us” Below are some 
of the relevant skills every youth should endeavour to have and the youth 
should be taught:  
 
Creative Thinking 
This is the ability to “think outside the box” it involves devising a new 
approach to tasks, situations or problems. Creative thinking helps one 
initiate novel idea and makes one see situations and problems from a 
picture perspective. On can stimulate creative thoughts by being curious 
and following ones curiosity, taking a rest, reading widely, writing, 
brainstorming, eating healthy, walking, being open to new things, going 
outside your comfort zone and a lot more. 
 
Time Management 
Time is a precious asset and wasting it is tantamount to wasting one’s 
life. As a youth, this skill is needed in order for the youth to be able to 
plan and control the amount of time spent on various activities. Time 
management skill will increase effectiveness and productivity because it 
will help the youth to discipline themselves and focus on the goal at 
hand. 
 
Money Management 
Many people are in a financial mess today because they have no clue 
about how money works. It is better not to wait to learn the hard way: 
learn to save, no matter how little you earn. It is imperative for the youth 
to be taught how to save no matter how little you earn. It is necessary for 
them to have a monthly or weekly budget and strive to spend less then 
they earn. Learning how to make money work for them through 
investment will help go far in life endeavour. 



446 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

Survival Skill 
This skill comes handy when one find himself or herself in a precarious 
situation they include how to administer first aid, light or put out fire, 
read a compass, make smoke signals, read topography, change a car tyre, 
build a make shift shelter, find and purify water and other survival skills 
like swimming, climbing and self defense. 
 
People Skill 
The way one relates with people could determine the extent of one’s 
success or failure in life. People skill will help you to relate with people 
appropriately. Therefore, it is needful for youth to learn how to treat 
people with respect and kindness. It is needful to always think win/win 
when dealing with others and they should treat people the way they 
would want others to treat them. 
 
Coping with Failure 
A famous Athlete once said “I have missed more than 9000 shots in my 
career. I have lost almost 300 games, 26 times I have been trusted to take 
the game wining shot and missed. I have failed over and over and over 
again in my life. And that is why I succeed”, sometimes failure can teach 
us valuable lessons of life. Though it’s natural to feel bad when you fail, 
the youth must learn that they don’t have to dwell on it or allow it to 
define their person. They need to encourage themselves and learn a 
lesson from experience by asking oneself why the failure and what could 
have been done better. It is necessary to try to see the brighter side of 
things and resist the temptation of indulging in vices. The youth should 
deliberately make effort to try again. The youth must not allow failure to 
stop them from moving forward in life 
 
Leadership Skills 
The youth must be taught that as they go on in life, they will find 
themselves in situations where they need to take on leadership roles. It is 
needful therefore for them to equip themselves they need to learn how 
to set goals, make decisions and manage human and material resources 
well. They can develop leadership skill by learning to take on 
responsibilities in their home and school. They should always organize 
themselves and learn how to effectively communicate with different 
kinds of people. 
In addition to all these skills that have been explained above, there are 
other valuable skills the youth should learn, they include assertiveness, 
cooperation, working independently, prioritizing, positive thinking, 
problem solving, confidence building, negotiation, presentation, listening 
skill communication, recognizing diversity, handling disappointment and 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    447 

networking. If the youths strive to acquire these skills, they will be better 
equipped for the demands of life and contribute immeasurably to the 
development of the nation.  
 
Symbiotic Links between Youth Formation and National 
Development 
In the world today where spiritual lethargy, moral decadence and mind 
blowing corruption reign, there is need to raise youths that will be pillars 
and hope of the nation. This is made possible through education and the 
inculcation of the right values. This process is embarked upon with the 
objective of facilitating intellectual and moral development in individuals 
so as to make them become productive members of the society. The 
process involves the transmission of values and accumulated knowledge 
that will assist the individuals to fashion out, pursue and actually achieve 
their live goals. Whether formal or informal, its basic objective is to 
unleash a person’s potentials and develop knowledge, skills and socially 
desirable and useful behavioral pattern. 

While formal education is acquired in schools, informal 
education takes place through everyday experiences and actual 
relationships with people around you. This also involves capacity 
development which has a direct link with human development. In fact, 
there are a range of issues where the two are closely intertwined. These 
include: human capital development through health and nutrition, 
education and training; the accumulation of physical capital that 
increases the levels of investment to generate employment opportunities; 
strengthening governance through institutional and policy reforms; and 
the application of improved technologies, logistics and systems to 
enhance organizational performance. The ultimate mission of capacity 
development is for people to increase their incomes and improve their 
quality of life.  

Capacity building helps create conditions that enable people to 
derive maximum benefits. It is an on-going process that involves 
developing competencies (skills, knowledge, and attitudes) to enable 
people to make things happen. There are various dimensions of capacity 
development, which includes; Individual (human), Institutional 
(organizational) and societal (community) capacities. Since the focus of 
this paper is on youth formation and national development, these two 
will be discussed: 
 
Individual Capacities  
Individual capacities relates to the availability of the right quantity and 
quality of human capital to achieve and sustain national human 
development. There are two key components needed:  Planning present 



448 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

and future human capital stock by skills and expertise. Periodic human 
resources surveys are needed and a human capital plan should be 
prepared with the aim of mapping current and future capacity 
development needs, strategies and programmes; and ensuring that there 
are adequate teachers, school administrators and education planners in 
place to design, mount and execute specialized training as well as general 
and professional education to meet the nation’s needs in accordance with 
the human capital mobilization plan. The process of individual 
development involves a number of changes in innate resources such as 
knowledge, practical skills, mind sets, values, perceptions, stamina and 
relationships. The goal is for the individual to be empowered to live a 
happy, long and comfortable life. This may include providing general 
education and vocational training; creating a competent and motivated 
cadre of people that will guarantee a high level of productivity and 
growth; and providing good health services and nutritious food to 
improve health.  
 
Institutional Capacities  
Institutional capacities is concerned with institutional and organizational 
capabilities, both public and private, to attract financial and quality 
human capital and put it to productive use. Effective national 
performance is a condition stemming from efficient use of quality 
human and financial capital through institutions and organizations that 
enable the delivery of desired results. Weak institutions are often central 
to the failure of development efforts. For example, poor management of 
public resources undermines the state as a guarantor of public welfare 
and security and this is what we presently experiencing in Nigeria.  
           Consequently, developing capacity at the organizational or 
institutional level involves reforming, as and where necessary, the 
structures, mandates, functions, remuneration, management systems, 
corporate culture and operational processes of organizations – especially 
the public sector. Institutions must also be adequately equipped to attract 
and make the best use of available resources. This involves improving 
physical facilities and equipment, institution linkages, networking and 
relations and institutional philosophies. It should be emphasized at the 
point that the two components are complementary. For instance, if the 
institutional setting in a country is not appropriate, the realization of the 
full benefits of even the best quality human capacity would be illusory.  
            The importance of investing in education and health is well 
appreciated and understood in economies that wish to attain sustainable 
growth. The quality of a nation’s development depends on the quality of 
its workforce. Nigeria is rated by international standards as ‘less 
developed’ and thus has economic growth as a major goal. Indeed, the 



Section III: Religious/Socio-Cultural Perspectives And Human Formation    449 

importance of a prime sector such as education has been stressed in 
Nigeria since the early sixties. Presently, there is need to stress the 
importance of human capital development for Nigeria, because the 
Nigerian economy has to be efficient and competitive in the new world 
order in which national frontiers no longer constitute barriers to human, 
material, and capital flows, the greatest barriers facing Nigeria in this 
millennium is the issue of capacity building to enhance productivity in 
the economy of which the youth can play a major role. 
 
Conclusion 
Our discourse does not pretend to be exhaustive as there are definitely a 
lot of issues left untouched, with many others yet to be discussed in 
details. Nonetheless, it is hoped that by this brief analysis on youth 
formation and how it could enhance national development, we have 
been able to stimulate some interests and thoughts in ways that would 
motivate philosophical investigation into how this thoughts can be 
further developed and applied in practical ways that can facilitate social 
and national development as a whole. One thing that stands out is the 
concern for holistic formation (spiritual, intellectual, moral, political and 
economic) of the youth.  
 
Recommendations:  
1. Parents should develop and inculcate proper values in their children 

for the survival of the individual and the society. 
2. The individual’s intellectual capacity of the youth should be 

developed in order for them to understand and appreciate their local 
and external environments. 

3.  There is need for the youth to acquire both physical and intellectual 
skills, which will enable them to be self-reliant and useful members 
of the society. 

4.  The government and corporate organization should promote and 
encourage merit-based scholarship and community service.  

5. Special attention should be paid to mentoring in the training of the 
youth since they are looking always for role models..  

6. The government should create avenues for the promotion of 
national and international understanding and interaction 

 
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of the Assembly ,Banjul, Gambia, July 2. 2006 



450 Formation of the Human Person in the 21st Century 

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