NNDF COLLOQUIUM PAPER PRESENTATION -AWAKENING THE GIANT IN US; THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE .

AWAKENING THE GIANT IN US; THE YOUTH PERSPECTIVE 

An  Address delivered by Hon. Chineme Onyeke at the NNDF Colloquium and Grand Reception, themed NSUKKA RISING: HONOURING OUR BEST AND BUILDING THE FUTURE, Holding at Ekpo Ref, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, This 4th of January 2026

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, respected elders, our great leaders, partners in progress, and my dear young people,

It is with deep gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility that I stand before you today at this historic gathering of minds and hearts united by a single compelling vision: The overall Growth and Development of both Nsukka Land and Her People. 

We are here to honour Nsukka sons and daughters, to celebrate excellence, and to recommit ourselves to the task of building a future that reflects the greatness in us.

Nkpokote Nsukka Development Forum is an Association that I cannot refuse their call because of my great desire for the Unity and Development of Igbo Nsukka. A cause I have championed since my University days in the early 2000s.

The theme of my  Address, “Awakening the Giant in Us; The Youth Perspective,” speaks directly to the soul of our generation. It reminds us that greatness is not something we import like cargo  and couple together, neither is it something we borrow. Greatness is already within us. 

The task before us is simply to awaken it.

For too long, the narrative of our youth has been written by others. We have been described as leaders of tomorrow, as if leadership is a distant appointment waiting in the future. 

To make it sound true, whenever the youths try to put themselves together and pursue a just cause, the people who have held us down for too long will start sowing seeds of discord and causing problems, one of which was recently witnessed in the activities of Nsukka Youth General Assembly. Am sure Nkpokote Nsukka even though not made of youth must have had same kind of problem. We pray we succeed even though difficult considering the terrain we are operating.

But I say today, with all sense of conviction, the youths are not just leaders of tomorrow, we are active stakeholders of today when we do the right things.

Our energy powers communities. 

Our creativity drives innovation. 

Our voices shape conversations. 

Our hands build the very structures upon which society stands.

The Nsukka story is a story of resilience, intellect, creativity, and courage. 

From our classrooms to our markets, from our farms to our tech hubs, from our cultural stages to the global arena, Nsukka people have consistently shown that where others see limits, we see possibilities that today the tag, "Nwa Nsukka" is something to be proud of indeed.

Yet, we must be honest with ourselves. The giant in us does not awaken by wishful thinking. It awakens through discipline, vision, collaboration, courage and most importantly, UNITY.

It awakens when young people refuse to be defined by unemployment, but instead build enterprises.

It awakens when we choose innovation over shortcuts, integrity over corruption, and service over selfishness.

It awakens when we see politics not as a weapon of division, but as a tool for development.

For division is what made it possible for us to be  treated as the minority in a state where we have nearly 62% of the population, have the majority number of educated, wealthy and influential people. And it has been proven over and over again that divide and conquer works like magic every time. 

This is where the Giants in us should come in moving forward. We have numbers that don't reflect in voting power because outsiders will come in and use us,the youths to disrupt elections in Igbo Nsukka to scare voters away for their selfish interests. The youths should realize the danger, harm and underdevelopment such will be bringing to our people .

From the youths' perspective, I advise that NNDF stand up for the security of our people. In Enugu East all the Chief Security Officers(CSO) of all communities in various local governments are in a single platform. Information of an attach in one community  reaches nearly all communities in 10mins and such helps in saving lives. In this,we can be assured that youths will participate very actively especially as we all know that we border Benue and kogi and considering the insecurity of our dear country today.

The Giant in us awakens when we honour our elders, while boldly stepping forward to add our own chapter to history.

As we celebrate our  distinguished sons and daughters today, let us also remember that excellence is not accidental. It is built deliberately. It is nurtured. It is mentored.

Our bests today were once young people who decided that excuses would not define them.

They made sacrifices. They stayed focused. They persevered through challenges. Their story must now become our inspiration because inspiration alone is not enough. We must match inspiration with action.

We must build networks, not just friendships.

We must embrace mentorship, not just admiration.

We must value education, both formal and informal, not just certificates.

We must become solution providers, not problem narrators.

The world is changing. Technology is reshaping economies. Creativity is redefining industries. 

Knowledge is the new currency. 

In this new world, the Nsukka youth must not stand at the sidelines. 

We must be bold participants and bold innovators.

We must rise in business.

We must rise in governance.

We must rise in technology.

We must rise in agriculture.

We must rise in humanitarian service.

We must rise in character.

Because the true measure of our rising is not just how high we climb, but how many people we lift as we rise.

To our elders and leaders here present, I say thank you. 

Thank you for the path you have created. 

But I also humbly ask: let us open more doors for the youth. 

Let us trust them with responsibility. 

Let us invest in their dreams. 

Let us mentor them, guide them, and give them room to grow.

To my fellow young people, I say this from my heart: the future will not be handed to us like a gift. We must prepare for it, work for it, and earn it. 

Let us refuse to be distracted. 

Let us build capacity. 

Let us stand for truth. Let us believe in ourselves and in Nsukka.

Nsukka is rising. But it will only rise fully when every young person realizes that they are not spectators in this story. They are authors. 

They are builders. 

They are giants.

And today, right here, let us make a commitment:

That we will awaken the giant in us.

That we will honour our heritage.

That we will build a future worthy of our name.

That when history records the journey of Nsukka, it will say: a generation arose that refused to shrink… a generation that chose to awaken its giant.

May God bless our youth, bless Nsukka, and bless our collective dreams.

Nsukka Dejee nu oh

Thank you.