Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has criticized Nigerian youths—particularly Gen Zs—for what he described as misplaced priorities, saying they were content queuing for food handouts while young people in other countries were rising to demand accountability.
Sowore, in a social media post on Monday, drew a sharp contrast between Nigerian youths who recently crowded various distribution points to collect free bags of rice and Nepalese citizens who poured into the streets to protest against corruption, eventually forcing their government to resign.
According to him, the comparison reflects a deeper issue of political apathy and resignation among Nigerian youths, many of whom he said prefer temporary reliefs such as food giveaways to long-term structural change. “In Nepal, citizens stood up against corruption and toppled a corrupt government. In Nigeria, our Gen Zs are queuing endlessly for rice handouts from the same politicians impoverishing them,” Sowore lamented.
His remarks have since stirred heated debate online, with some Nigerians agreeing that the culture of “stomach infrastructure” continues to weaken civic responsibility, while others argued that poverty and hunger often leave people with no choice but to accept such giveaways.
Observers note that Sowore’s criticism comes at a time of growing discontent in the country over rising food inflation, unemployment, and worsening living conditions. However, unlike Nepal’s citizens who mobilized for political change, Nigeria’s Gen Zs—often hailed for their role in the #EndSARS protests—have been accused of retreating into entertainment, social media trends, and handout culture instead of sustained activism.
