What millennials were up to in 2017

Nigeria's youth population (more than half of the country) has surely been up to a lot.

This year some attention was paid to drug abuse in Nigeria. In 2017, mainstream Nigeria got a glimpse of how the booming drug culture. Even the Nigerian Senate talked about the consumption of codeinein the country, especially in the Northern region. That's to show you how serious got.

There was nothing more chilling than the first-hand narration of a young, male Nigerian who gave an account of how he almost overdosed on Tramadol and Rophynol. His story provides a scary insight into what is happening.

2017 witnessed more countries legalize or decriminalize marijuana including the African country of Lesotho. While other African countries are considering to legalize it, Nigeria still remains silent about it. This hasn't deterred people from smoking weed. Within this year, we have found out that Nigerian women have joined their counterparts around the world in smoking more marijuana.

While marijuana is mainstream, the synthetic marijuana known as 'spice' or 'black mamba' made its entry this year. The drug moved on the streets despite its harmful effects.

With regards to sex, the hookup culture thrived as ever before. With Tinder and special WhatsApp group, millennials have commoditized sex with the push of just a button. Also, underground porn scene became more lively with the entrance of content providers such as Kingtblakhoc.

Young Nigerians are not shying away from sex, whether as participants, consumers and observers. Unfortunately, consent and rape were big issues in 2017. Stories of sexual molestation and harassment were still present on our timelines. These showed us that little progress had been made from previous years.

On the political side of things, the Not Too Young Run bill was passed by the Nigerian Senate. The bill lowered the age limit for various political offices in the land. This move was highly praised. Whether Nigerian youths will take advantage of this opportunity is a matter for 2018 and 2019.

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Overall, this was an interesting year for Nigerian millennials. Not only did big names such as Wizkid, Davido and Tekno get more international acclaim, but up and comers like the skating crew Waffles n Cream continued to ride the international wave.

Pop-up shops and intimate concerts showed us that young Nigerians are not waiting for opportunities but creating their own way to the top.