Confronting the unemployment crisis
The crisis of joblessness and youth unemployment is neither a fairytale nor myth in the Africa’s most populous nation. Over 55.4 percent of young people aged 18 to 35 are unable to find a suitable work to earn a living. Nearly a quarter of the entire Nigerian population is out of work and over 20 percent is underemployed. In attestation to this, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige disclosed that the unemployment rate may increase from 23.1 percent to 33.5 percent by 2020.
Being young in Nigeria is very challenging basically as a result of the fact that there are no opportunities awaiting our so called “future”. Apart from job applicants, undergraduates seeking “outside the classroom experience” are battered by the rigorous procedures for internship placement or unwelcoming policies of many industries/ organizations in Nigeria.
Several factors contribute to this misery. One of the major elements responsible for the high level of unemployment in Nigeria is the rapid growth in population. There has been an increase in the growth of the labor forces along with the inadequate supply of jobs. The rapid population growth has been coupled with rural-urban migration. This has increased the population in cities thereby raising the level of joblessness.
In addition, the misery of most Nigerians has been worsened by the recent decline in the country’s economy. Due to recession, a lot of adults have been sacked from work, thus creating no opportunities for the unemployed. Most laid off because their employers can no longer afford their pay. A rational diversification of the economy from the oil sector thus creating an industrial friendly environment for the youths and the unemployed has become an imperative. It is evident that agriculture is one of the major sectors and the government has to do everything possible to attract private investors. This move will definitely create new job opportunities for the youths.
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