UNEMPLOYMENT; FAULT OF THE TEEMING GRADUATES OR GOVERNMENT?
The flooding strive of the Nigeria tertiary institution
graduate into the labour market has raised a big question to the general
public. Why the massive intake of students into the tertiary institution, what
becomes their fate after the convocation ceremony? What are the plans of the
government for these vulnerable graduates? We may not give a lasting solution
to unemployment if this question is not answered.
Statistics has it that over one million candidates sat for 2016 jamb across the federation and
millions to graduate from various institutions of higher learning per annum .these
figures are most challenging with few employment opportunities in place.
Nigeria; the biggest black nation in the world, ought to
have a very strong economy capable of employing almost all employable graduate
/citizen. Unfortunately, the unemployment rate is unabatedly strong. The epileptic
electric power supply is the biggest cause of unemployment. Many foreign investors that would have come to
invest in Nigeria having considered their big marketing strength and which
would have provided many employment opportunities to Nigerians to reduce
unemployment have transferred to other neighboring countries with constant
power supply to avoid operating at loss with daily usage of generating sets /petrol,
now becoming a culture in the country. The local companies are not an exception
to these problems; some were forced to fold up and has sent their employees
into the labour market. Relatively to that effect, when the PHCN was
privatized, a large number of its staff was thrown into unemployment.
Poor education quality would also be linked to the versed
problems of unemployment. Some universities, polytechnics and colleges of
education graduates have little or nothing to contribute to the society.
According to national bureau of statistic, only very little number out of over
200,000 graduates of various tertiary institution secures job after years of
their graduation. Reasons could be attributed to poor learning facilities and
ill-equipped lectures/ instructors who render poor services to the graduates
while in school. These students are tagged “half baked” they have unrefined
background to make good impact to the society, neither are they able to defend
the paper certificates which they are holding, hereby contributing to the
unemployment rate of the country each year.
It is very imperative to also note that for many years
running, most Nigerian youths have neglected acquisition of skills, with the
impression that the time spent on such is wasted, and is on the quest for white
collar jobs with little or no professionalism to fit in those jobs. With such
philosophy, these teeming youth graduates have grown into middle and senior age
without any skill to fall on, thus becoming a problem to themselves and
others.”I doubt if a skilled youth will suffer unemployment, when he/she can
effectively adjust to many opportunities and environments.
The government has more priorities in the oil sector and has
given little response to other sectors, especially in the agro based field
which would have serves as an alternative to the vulnerable graduates. If the
agricultural sector is adequately strategized with various human and mechanical
man powers in place, the sky rocketing job seeker would also contribute to the nation’s
revenue growth.
Sequel to the ravaging growth of corruption in the nations system,
unemployment will remain an occurring problem and possibly a threat to the
overwhelming population of the country. Nigeria which is rated 8th
,as the most corrupt country in the world and so has high unemployment rate, should
reawaking the societies consciousness of what the future holds for the youth.
When corruption becomes a routine in the nations system,
functions which are to be taken by three or more persons is obtained by one
person. The salary of the three then becomes a paper work and is termed “ghost
workers”. The government is playing a silent approach to this effect, drastic
measures should be taken to effect change, and restore sanity in the labour
market. The private sectors though to be commended of their restructuring
effort in making the unemployment rate reduced to a bearable state, but should
also be checkmated duly, especially on the legal rights of their employees.
“A hungry man is an angry man”, so do philosophy say. If a
young graduate with fresh energy gets hungry as a result of the unemployment
state of the country, then Nigeria should be ready not to sleep with two eyes closed,
because he/she is vulnerable and would surely become a threat to the society.
There is no gain saying that either the government or the teeming graduate is
to be blamed. The wise saying should be anchored on wake up call to the two
actors of unemployment problems.
The recent government of Dr. Ebele Jonathan’s Subsidy Reinvestment
and Empowerment Programme SURE-P which
came to light in October 2012 was a welcomed development. It was meant to
create opportunities for Nigerian graduates to be attached to reputable public
and private firms/organizations, and be trained for one year on a monthly
federal government wage of 18,000. The scheme was created to serve as a
supporting step in improving the potential skills of the teeming graduates who
would be useful and productive in their area of specialty. Although the scheme
never got much praise as it is said to have died with the previous
administration, yet it is laudable on its progressive measures in addressing
the plague of unemployment bedeviling the country. The present administration
ought to ready her government in building a lasting relationship with the overwhelming
graduates of various tertiary institution and to foster the entrepreneurship
studies in various institutions curriculums as ways of curbing the menace of
unemployment in the country.
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