Unemployment in Nigeria: causes and possible solutions -By Abdulazeez Toheeb Olawale

The level of unemployment has become something widely spread all over the nation across the globe, particularly in Nigeria. It’s becoming chronic without solution being in sight. It has constituted itself into one of the worst enemies of the people in Nigeria.

Unemployment is a term referring to as individuals who are employable and actively seeking a job but are unable to find a job it’s referred to as joblessness, it occurs when people are without work and are actively seeking employment.

Is it that these people have no ability or not qualify to work? No! They has the ability and are capable of working, surprisingly they were unable to secure job opportunity. What a fiendish nation?

Though the term “unemployment” is often misunderstood, it as it includes people who are waiting to return to a job after being discharged, yet it does not include individuals who have stopped looking for work in the past four weeks due to various reasons such as leaving work to pursue higher education, retirement, disability, and personal issues. Also people who are not actively seeking a job but do want to work are not classified as unemployed.

Unemployment is a major problem that Nigerians have faced for over a decade now. Most young people have no jobs including graduates of tertiary institutions of learning.

Among the unemployed population are people of all genders, educational qualifications, ethnic background and age especially young people of average 21 years old.

The ever increasing number of graduates that leave school in recent times over all universities in Nigeria with little hope of securing employment either in the public or private sector has become a source of worry to the authorities and stakeholders. Youth unemployment is not only an economic but also a serious social problem. Unemployment is synonymous with waste of resources. It is a waste of human capital and one of the main causes of social disorder which lends itself to poverty and other problems of economic underdevelopment.

However, there are some factors that facilitate and increase the level of unemployment that require strict attention by the government and individuals in successful reduction of unemployment rate.

First of the causes is poor management of the Economy. The misuse of the country’s resources has led to crippling economic conditions across the country. The country’s wealth translates to the people’s wealth because a wealthy nation where resources abound will have citizens that can fend for themselves and create jobs for others.

Secondly is absence of Industrialization. West African countries do not have enough industries that can absorb the large number of school leavers every year which increases unemployment rate.

The third causes is poor agricultural system. Many graduates do not consider agricultural sector as one of the areas where they can get employment because it is still underdeveloped and unattractive instead wasting there precious time looking for white collar job.

Nevertheless, lack of social amenities in rural areas is fourth factor that gives rise to level of unemployment in Nigeria. This constitutes push factor to rural-urban migration which makes the youths prefer settling in the urban areas even if they get employment in the rural areas.

The fifth factor is faulty educational system. The educational system Nigeria inherited from our former colonial rulers lays emphasis on writing, reading and arithmetic, which equips us to be job seekers rather than job creators.

The sixth reason on the list is high cost of education. The exorbitant cost of higher education in West Africa prevents many school leavers from furthering their education and roam about the streets of our urban areas instead of being in institutions of higher learning.

The seventh causes is faulty development plans. Our leaders plan for the establishment of more schools and colleges without corresponding available places to absorb the upsurge of youths from these schools and colleges, which amplify the rate of joblessness.

Overpopulation is the eighth causes of unemployment. Presently, Nigeria is a country of about 220 million by population, our population increases without a proportional increase in the avenues of employment opportunities thereby leaving a large proportion of the population unemployed.

The last on the list is corruption. It’s one of the factors that cause unemployment. For instance, diversion of public funds meant for education into personal use, diverting over 50 jobs position meant for the masses into one individual account without doing the job (Ghost workers),Infrastructural decay which hinders economic activities due to diversion of public funds, insincerity in the implementation employment programmes etc

So therefore, There’s no problem or challenges without solution, according to an adage that says “every problem or challenges with fundamental causes must have way out”. These are the possible solution to unemployment in Nigeria;

The first way out is achieving industrialization. Establishing many industries will create more employment opportunities for the people

Also, making agriculture more attractive and valuable. This can be done by developing agriculture and those in it should earn more salaries and wages so that it can attract youths to it and reduce unemployment.

Moreover, provision of social amenities to rural areas. This will make many school leavers to work and reside in rural areas.

Good development plans is also one of the way out. Schools and colleges should be established based on the available places that will absorb the products of these institutions.

Restructuring educational System. Pre-vocational courses like mechanics, electronics, woodwork, metal work etc. should be taught; these will make our educational products to be job creators instead of job seekers.

Lastly, population control. Optimum population will help solve our unemployment problems because it will bring our population to equilibrium point with our resources.

However, individuals as a person should engage his or her self in skills even while in school, instead of turning education automatic ticket to government jobs. There are a lot of skills youth can engage his or herself irrespective of gender. Tailoring and fashion design, leaders bag and shoe making, hair dressing, photography and videography, etc. Asides, you can engage your self is some little business and any other things that can serve as sources of income.