When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child. But as an adult, it is time to put away childish things.

Growing up, many of us spent countless hours analyzing and identifying the endless problems clogging the wheel of Nigerian society from moving forward. Castigating government was our favorite hym, pointing fingers, and waiting for a saviour. It is easy to look at a nation and demand that the government see and fix everything at once, after all, they hold the data and the power. But the reality is that Nigeria is still work in progress with governance structures not fully optimal to that level of efficiency.

This realization is precisely why the BAT Ideological Group Movement was born. We realized that our forebears sat down, complained, and analyzed the exact same problems we are facing today. History don’t lie. If you watch video clips from 1985, 1989, 1990, or 1994, you will hear the exact same laments. You will see figures like Gani Fawehinmi pointing out that the average citizen can no longer afford standard commodities like banana, that inflation is skyrocketing, and that fuel scarcity is breaking the masses. Despite government subsidies, the cry of unaffordability is yet to abet.

The only difference between then and now is the social media age. Today, someone can sit in a remote village, fire off a tweet, and amplify a grievance globally. But venting on X or Instagram does not change the reality on the ground. We cannot keep doing the same things our predecessors did for decades and expect a different result.

The Yorubas say “Ọmọ tó bá sípá, ní ìyá ẹ máa gbé.“which means that to receive help, you ought to show that you can do something with what you have, Instead of joining the shouting contest, it is time to look at the hidden treasures right in front of us. Through the ward priority project, an avenue has been carved out for the youth by Tinubu to tap bl into silently for institutional wealth.

Tinubu wants you to be a contributor not a disruptor, he is literally extending his hands of leadership and cooperation encouraging Nigerians to build Nigeria with him to achieve the Nigeria of our dream; therefore, do not slap the hands that brought the best of Intentions.

The logic behind this approach is simple, because many state governors and local government administrators have historically struggled to implement genuinely people-oriented grassroots projects. Recognizing this gap, a framework was established to completely bypass traditional bottlenecks. It bypasses the governor, bypasses the local government chairman, and side-steps the ward counselors to place development directly into the hands of the organized youth.
To turn these policy gaps into economic value, young people must first organize with fellow youth to form a structured association under a name of their choosing. Once gathered, the group identifies a critical, real developmental or policy gap directly affecting their community. From there, they draft a practical project proposal to solve that problem and submit it directly to the committee head and recommending a competent execution partner or company to handle the contract.

Because you identify the gap and bring the solution, the framework ensures you have a direct stake in it. You are empowered to monitor the project from inception to completion. Even if that project yields a modest 20 million Naira profit, that is tangible, legitimate wealth being channeled directly to young stakeholders who previously couldn’t boast of a hundred thousand Naira.

We are a nation incredibly gifted at critiquing, but we often suffer from amnesia regarding what the country does provide. For those of us who attended public primary schools, secondary schools and universities, or who have utilized public healthcare, the system has contributed to our journey. Compared to the crushing tax systems and living costs abroad, Nigeria remains one of the most affordable places to live and study. Even amid reforms, critical infrastructure like our electricity grid still enjoys forms of subsidization. The government has left doors open; the question is whether we are willing to walk through them as builders or just stand outside as critics.

Think back to the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. In his time, he suggested brilliant, structured solutions to Nigeria flaws. Yet, in those days, he was often mocked and labeled as prophet of doom. Decades later, the very issues he highlighted have become glaring realities. While he provided the blueprints, the missing link has always been a lack of collective follow-through. We cannot afford to make that mistake again.

The BAT Ideological Group has moved past the era of mere analysis. We are actively identifying developmental gaps, linking communities to vital resources, and facilitating projects that matter. To date, we have identified and pushed forward over 50 distinct developmental projects across various communities.

We also urge the president to emulate Barack Obama; when Barack was President, he made a massive point of keeping a direct line open to the public, Tinubu should do something similar to the ordinary citizen can reach their elected president without any middleman filtering the intended message.

We do not want you to sit on the sidelines anymore. We want the youth to rise and join and form a critical mass for this movement at their respective local levels. Let’s stop degrading our country online and stop waiting for the economy to magically fix itself without our participation.

Bamidele Atoyebi is the Convener of BAT Ideological Group, National Coordinator of Accountability and Policy Monitoring and a publisher at Unfiltered and Mining Reporting and political social worker