When the Hyena Devours the Lion: The Cost of Youth Apathy in Politics

 

By Abioye Tosin Lawrence 

In Nigeria, a silent transformation is unfolding, one that speaks less through noise and more through absence. It is the gradual withdrawal of the nation’s most capable, creative, and forward-thinking young people from the political space. And in that absence, a different kind of leadership emerges.

Nature offers a fitting metaphor: when the lion, the symbol of strength, vision, and dominance, steps away, the hyena does not hesitate. It advances, not necessarily because it is stronger, but because the space has been left unguarded.

This is the story of Nigerian politics today.

Youth apathy has not come from laziness or indifference. It is the product of years of frustration with a system where ideas struggle to survive, where loyalty is often valued above competence, and where financial power frequently overshadows intellectual depth. For many young Nigerians, politics has become a game already decided before it begins.

At the grassroots level, the consequences are visible. Local governance structures, which should serve as engines of development, often operate without innovation or strategic direction. Leadership is too frequently determined by alignment and patronage rather than vision and capability. The result is a system that struggles to meet even the most basic expectations of governance.

Compounding this is the rise of transactional politics. Voting, once a civic duty grounded in hope and responsibility, is increasingly influenced by immediate rewards. In a society where economic pressure is high, long-term thinking gives way to short-term survival. The question shifts from “Who has the best ideas?” to “Who can provide something now?”

Within this environment, a culture of political loyalty without reward has also taken root. Many who dedicate years to serving powerful figures eventually find themselves discarded, left with little more than experience and regret. For some, this realization comes too late, after a decade or more of misplaced commitment. 

Disillusionment sets in, and participation fades.

Meanwhile, the nation’s brightest minds are redirecting their ambitions. Entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and opportunities abroad offer clearer paths to success and personal fulfillment. Politics, by contrast, appears unstable, unrewarding, and in many cases, unsafe.

But every withdrawal creates a vacuum, and in politics, a vacuum never remains empty.

When thoughtful, principled individuals step back, the system does not pause. It adapts. It fills the space with those willing to navigate its complexities, regardless of whether they possess the vision required for meaningful leadership. Over time, this reinforces a cycle where mediocrity is normalized and excellence becomes increasingly rare.

The danger lies not just in the leaders that emerge, but in the growing belief that the system cannot be changed. A generation that loses faith in governance is a generation unlikely to invest in its future. And without that investment, the prospects for reform grow even dimmer.

Yet, the metaphor of the lion and the hyena is not destiny, it is a warning.

The future of Nigeria will not only be shaped by those who hold power, but also by those who choose whether or not to pursue it. Withdrawal may offer personal safety and stability, but it does little to challenge the structures that created the problem in the first place.

If the lion does not return, the hyena will not retreat.

And so, the question facing Nigeria’s young generation is not simply whether the system is broken. It is whether they are willing to engage it, reshape it, and ultimately reclaim the space that has been left behind.

Because in the end, the cost of apathy is not just political, it is generational.