I think the top 2 skills young Nigerians should be taught are Leadership and Critical Thinking. But first, they need Self-Confidence and perhaps, Trauma Therapy. Nigeria has broken many people.

I say this because in my years of mentoring, I've seen too many young Nigerians who have no idea what to do with opportunities and independence. They demonstrate brain freeze and a shocking display of laziness when the very things they wish for are given to them.

This has happened too often for it to be an exception. I wish people who work in the career or mental space would study it. Cc @DoctorEmotions

There's also a lot of suspicion. I can understand this one. It's a feeling that nothing can truly be free. So young people spend more time suspecting opportunities than grabbing them with both hands.

What this means is that only those who are mentally free can take full advantage of opportunities. This is sad as they constitute the minority in Nigeria. It's the reason why you keep seeing the same faces at Grant Competitions or Empowerment Networks.

They are not necessarily the best candidates. Even if we allow for nepotism, many of those people are simply the ones who believe in themselves enough and work hard enough (whether by accessing information or doing other things) to take advantage of those opportunities.

I think in Nigeria, people assume self confidence is the same thing as aggression, shouting and bullshitting. Perhaps I should have said self-esteem instead, as well as the self-assurance that comes from valid knowledge and skills.