Igbekele Tope, the Executive Director of Students' Economic Forum, which is about evolving
intellectual interaction and mental stimulation among youths, spoke with Faith Olaniran,

FUT, Minna on the  objective of the forum.

How did you come about the forum?
A few years ago, I started praying to God to use me to solve national problems. I kept thinking of how to get involved in  positive change in this nation. Then one day, I was watching CNBC and discovered a show where selected students from all higher institutions in America gathered to brainstorm and ask questions from the secretary of state for Finance about how things were run in the economy. It dawned on me that there was nothing like that in Nigeria. I said to myself that it could be done. So I began to think of how Nigerian students could come together and ask their leaders questions on how the economy is run. I decided to talk to a couple of friends.

Fortunately, some of them showed interest, so in June 2009, the vision was launced.  In January 2010, the first Student Economic Forum was held at Lagos State University for the students of higher institutions in Lagos. Since then, we have not looked back.

What is your view about the economy?
It is an undeniable fact that the present situation of our economy is growing increasingly complex; Hence the need for leaders who possess a complementary set of strategic vision, managerial capabilities and courage to sustain the progress and prosperity of our nation. This is a trying times and it calls for urgent attention and innovative solutions. However, a high percentage of the Nigerian youth population do not show interest or lack the capacity to rise up to the occasion as most are concerned about survival. It is time for the nation to harness her major strength (the youth) in her economic development.

It is time to inform and genuinely strengthen the youths to take part in the transformation desired. The world is watching and waiting for Nigeria to take her rightful position in the world economy.

What are the aims and objective for coming up with such a forum?
The main objective is to create a platform for youths to participate in national economic development and socio-economic policy making. The forum aims at enlightening students on their role in the national economy, provide an intellectual platform for generating and exchanging ideas and stir young people to take responsibility for national transformation.

What do you think is the role of Nigerian youth in building up the nation's economy?
Kofi Anna, a man I   hold in high esteem has this to say, ‘No one is born a good citizen; no nation is born a democracy. Rather, both are processes that continue to evolve over a lifetime.

Young people must be included from birth. A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death’.  I believe personally that the youth is the life-wire of any nation. The population of this country comprises over 60 percent youths. They have the strength, the time and the courage to take risks. But this energy is mostly misdirected. For instance, there is a high rate of violence, internet fraud  among other vices among the youth.

But there is hope. At SEDI, we are re-directing and harnessing this energy for nation building.

There are a lot of things we can do, we can solve the problems of this nation.