Unemployment has become a major challenge in Nigeria for decades now -By Abubakar Idris Musa

Every year Universities, polytechnics, mono technics, schools of education and distance learning centres graduate hundreds able bodied men and women with high intellectual capabilities and physical strength into the labour market. They roam about the streets with their certificates begging for jobs.

These are labour force that are ready to work but the society seems to have failed them. According to a Bloomberg Report (March 26 2021),

“Nigeria home to the world’s largest number of extremely poor people, looks set to break another record: the highest jobless rate.

A third of the labor force is without employment or working only a few hours a week — second only to Namibia in the list of 82 countries tracked by Bloomberg”.

This statement is indeed scaring. There may be no opportunities for these graduates in terms of employment. But they should be given adequate support for self empowerment. The issue of unemployment needs to be taken seriously as its proof is visible within the society. Frustration has pushed many into the take up of an immoral and questionable occupation that deviates from the norms of the society.

The former vice president, Atiku Abubakar was straight straight forward in his criticism against the government’s policies when he said that “what this government must realise is that the unprecedented insecurity Nigeria is facing is the result of youth unemployment.

“Idleness is the worst feature of unemployment because it channels the energy of our youth away from production and towards destruction, and that is why Nigeria is now the third most terrorized nation on earth.” Idle youths who are not having any form of empowerment for livelihood is alarming. They are always geared up and ready to perpetrate devilry on the society as in the case of Boko Haram insurgency, Kidnapping and other militant activities in Nigeria. These idle youths are also prone to being used by politicians for thuggery during elections.

Nigeria, a giant of Africa with a fast growth in her populace is tormented by high young people unemployment. Nigeria’s adolescents unemployment in 2018 reached an all-time high of 19.68%. Nigeria’s youth population is described between the ages 15-34, which constitutes greater than 50% of Nigeria’s typical populace. It is often said the youths are the leaders of tomorrow. well, can they be Nigeria youths?. Nigerian youths today are associated with almost all the social vices going on in the country from kidnapping rape cultism to armed robbery and thuggery.
Lack of empowerment of youths has triggered underdevelopment with its results on the standard of dwelling, poverty and crimes. Poverty is indeed a vicious social problem.
So the question is what needs to be done? Self employment and Youth empowerment are among the power antidote to unemployment. If self employment is so powerful then why are the youths not engaged in it ?

Ruhl (2011: 14) explained that “The biggest change that our youth need to make is their mindset; shifting from that of job seekers to job creators; from writing good bios to writing great business plans. It also means transitioning from being provincial to thinking regionally and yes, even globally; from waiting for change to becoming the drivers of change. We must all aim for nobility of character and eschew ignoble wealth acquired by dishonest means”

This is to mention that the barricade among Nigerian youths and self-employment are not real in the first place; the stumbling blocks are only a pigment of our imaginations. A change of mindset is consequently needed. There is also the need for Government to play a crucial role in creating more empowerment programs to avoid another embarrassing record .

Abubakar Idris Musa writes from department of mass communication.

Bayero University Kano
abkidris99@gmail.com