The elders urged the youths to reclaim their destiny from what was referred to as an exploitative condescending class.
A convergence of academics and progressive section of the northern leaders and elders have charged youths in the region to step up and revamp Nigeria's dirty political system.
They spoke during the latest edition of the Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series, held at the Bayero University Kano (BUK) at the weekend.
The elders urged the youths to reclaim their destiny from what was referred to as an exploitative condescending class that has manipulated the democratic process and governance system.
Speaking at the event, former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Hafiz Abubakar enjoined the students to treat these lecture series as a distinct mentoring process initiated by students of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG).
He decried the dirty politics being played by Nigerian politicians while expressing the need for the mindset of the youths to be changed for the better.
He stressed the need to inculcate new and responsible ideas in the youths to serve as a means of bringing about a change in the leadership focus of the future in the youths.
He said: “The money politics system is bad, that is why we are here. We are playing a very wrong, very dirty and very unproductive politics.
“Therefore, the youths themselves as tomorrow leaders know because they are victims of bad leadership at all levels. I am sure they want better leadership for themselves and their own generation. So, each and every one of us, including them, realise this because we are on the wrong path and we have to chart a new course for a better Nigeria.”
On his part, Professor Sagagi, one of the keynote speakers, stressed the need to harness the potential of the youth into businesses for self-reliance, sighting the movement of cattle from North to South as a cogent example.
"We have so many opportunities to explore, but we are lazy and place too much reliance on government," he said.
Another speaker, Professor Jiddere emphasised the need for youth participation in active politics to check the current system decay, pointing out that youths are the legitimate machinery or potent agents of change.