“I HAVE A DREAM” A powerful speech delivered by a Hero; Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., On August 28, 1963 at the MARCH ON Washington, in DC. Till today still remains one of the best speeches and protest ever in history. What made that protest one of the best is not about the crowd that was gathered or their cry for equal rights and justice, it was the fact that Martin concentrated on the future more than the present. He gave the people HOPE, he saw the POSSIBILITIES, he had a DREAM. He helped the people saw what could be rather than what has been. He didn’t only dreamed, he strategized.

I told this little story to drive a point. First I am so proud that we the Nigerian youth has stood firm and strong to fight and demand justice for corrupt and bad governance that has sucked us dry for so many years. Indeed I am more than proud. We need to understand that what makes a protest powerful is the dream and the strategy behind the protest. The ability for us the youth to see what could be rather than what has been or what is. Change doesn’t start from physical environment, it starts from mental environment. Something from the inside-out, not from the outside-in. It is no doubt that the bad governance played a major role in crippling our potentials and mental productivity, and also caused the bankruptcy of our energetic and stupendous innovations.

BUT NOW! Is the time to resurrect, the protest is a resurrection without, but we also need a resurrection within. We have so many untapped potentials as youth, nothing can limit us but ourselves. So as we protest and our voices are being heard, let us also listen to our inner voice so we can become the right people that we need to be, and do the right things we need to do. I assure you we have a great task ahead of us; and nobody knows it all, you and I can’t accurately predict what the future holds. But one thing I can tell you for sure is; we are going to need so much mental strength, growth, and agility to handle the task ahead.

So brothers; it is time to revisit our dreams and hopes again. You may be thinking let’s face the protest first then after we can work on that, but can I tell you this; to build mental richness takes time, to change ideologies and beliefs takes time, we have been forcefully nurtured and groomed in this dark government for so long that many of us might not even recognize the light again when we see it. You can’t pour an old wine into a new wine skin, so the earlier we start building ourselves mentally the better. Now is the time to intentionally start strategizing and consciously taking action steps towards our growth and dreams. Trust me there’s nothing more dangerous than a man with a dream or vision. I only have one question for you; ARE YOU GOING TO BE AN ASSET TO YOURSELF AND TO OUR NATION, OR ARE YOU GOING TO BE A THREAT TO YOURSELF AND TO OUR NATION? The choice is yours!

THERE’S AN ARMY OF CHANGE RISING UP, AND I DARE YOU TO BE ONE OF THEM. GOD BLESS YOU, GOD BLESS THE YOUTHS, AND GOD BLESS OUR NATION NIGERIA.