by Alex Onukwue

Fresh from waltzing through the French elections to become the youngest ever President of France, Emmanuel Macron wasted little time in asserting himself on the global stage. First, there was the handshake Olympics with Donald Trump, which he won. Now, with the US President backing off the Climate Change Accord, Macron is biting again.

His swift reaction to Trump’s June 1 announcement was ‘Make Our Planet Great Again’. It is worthy to remember than Macron ran on the platform of a non-traditional party. Hence, he has a great level of independence in voicing his opinions. That he received the overwhelming mandate of the French people give him the authority to be heard.

Since his election, Macron has been the buzzword for youth in Nigeria who seek to have more powers in politics in Nigeria. Many commentators have made the point that he did nor become President because he was 39 but that he had the understanding of how global systems worked and how to rally the people against the tide of division.

His new campaign, this time aimed at ruling the world, is another pointer as to what youth should look out for in seeking to emulate him: taking responsibility to show an example where supposed leaders take the back seat.

Are Nigerian Youth ready to pro-actively direct the discourse of state in ways that rise above rants towards action? If they want to lead like Macron, they may want to learn to take the conversation and elevate it.

Editor