The Nation Newspaper

Tag: joblessness

  • Self-inflicted joblessness

    Any one reading this understands that life after NYSC for many graduates is a nightmare. This is because at least while they were still in school, they received handout as well as alms from family members, friends and others. But now that they are graduates, they are expected to fend for themselves and if possible and where applicable, return the gesture, but this is usually not the case especially with the way unemployment is plaguing the country.

    Many are frustrated, depressed and miserable because they are unable to secure a decent job. This makes them to begin to ask why fate has not been kind to them. Some even conclude that their ‘village people or ancestors’ are on the prowl in their perceived misfortune. This is not the crux of this piece.

    My grouse is that some of the harrowing experience of joblessness is self-inflicted. I will tell you why. A friend pleaded with me to notify him whenever my organization was recruiting so that he could ask his friend to apply. I told him to forward his resume and when I leant there was a vacancy, I submitted his papers. Shortly afterwards, he was contacted.

    I called and informed him to check his mail. He saw the invite and I started coaching him on the phone. I had not met him before but because of my friend, I hosted him in my house as he came all the way from Abuja. I was amazed that he brought shabby clothes for the interview. During our dry rehearsals, I asked what I had told him including what he knows about my organization but he was just blabbing. He didn’t even come with a necktie (knowing full well where he applied). I gave him my feedback and he assured me that he would do well.

    After the interview, I asked my colleagues that interviewed him about his performance and they gave me a bad feedback. In fact, the one I had to convince before accepting the CV was highly disappointed that she started asking me ‘funny’ questions. She was very disappointed because of the way I convinced her that he could do it. How do I convince her to accept a resume from me again in future?

    Some job seekers are unaware of the kind of efforts people put in to get an invite for them and because of their ignorance, they blow up the opportunity. Is this not self-inflicted joblessness?

    • By Emmanuel Onoja

    ramseyemmy@gmail.com

  • ‘Joblessness fallout of creativity gap’

    Stakeholders in the education sector have traced the high rate of joblessness among young graduates to dearth of creativity.

    The stakeholders spoke at the valedictory service and prize-giving day of Good Shepherd Schools, at both Meiran Lagos and Atan in Ogun states arms of the school.

    Vice Chancellor, Anchor University, Lagos, Prof. Joseph Afolayan, bemoaned the education system, which he said, had not emphasised creativity in schools.

    According to him, the scenario is further compounded by young graduates’seeming cluelessness on what being creative meant after leaving school.

    “There are more cases of joblessness caused by lack of creativity than those caused by lack of jobs. And more than 90per cent of poor people globally would have been able to better their lots if only they could think beyond the materials they studied in the classrooms,” he said.

    Afolayan, who was the guest speaker at the event, noted that while conventional education is good, the best form of education is self-education, stressing that the latter not only confer on one the gown of success, but further  opens one’s mind to the track and strategies for success.

    “It is a great instrument that will, however, remain meaningless if not used.

    “If you want to be celebrated in life, here is my piece of advice: be creative,” Afolayan warned.

    He continued: “Creativity, apart from Fine Arts, is not taught as a subject in the classroom, but it should. In any case, you need to get busy and learn to know far more than you were taught in the classroom. Indeed, this is the time to start thinking of what would give you the edge in the corporate world.The earlier you start, the better.”

    Prof. K.T. Odusami of the Department of Building, University of Lagos, said education must focus on creativity in order for young minds to maximise their potential.

    He contended that in the 21st Century education would have to de-emphasise certificate and emphasise creativity. “That is, thinking outside the box,” Odusami noted, adding that creativity required long hours of deep thoughts.

    Odusami added no kind of education is ideal for this present age if its purpose is still focused on mere acquisition of certificates rather than providing graduates with the skills to create life-changing opportunities.

    Good Shepherd School Chairman, Dr. Adebayo Oyeyemi, said the school had equipped the graduating students with required skills needed to succeed in a changing world, adding that the education offered by the school was without corruption and fraud.

    Oyeyemi decried that the nation is  going through socio-political and ethnic challenges that are threatening her very unity; nonetheless, he noted that the graduating students had been imbued with creativity, self-worth, a value-driven lifestyle and other qualities to rescue Nigeria from collapse.

    “The solutions to Nigeria’s problems lie in the hands of Nigerians. And you are the Nigerians to undertake that task. That is what you are called for. Godliness is the tool you require to rescue our dear nation from the brink of collapse,” he said.

  • Reducing joblessness

    •This is vital to national stability and economic resuscitation

    The news that 3.67 million Nigerians became unemployed between October 2015 and September 2016 is a sober reminder that putting the citizenry to productive work is vital to sustainable economic transformation and growth.

    The figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) make for grim reading, and paint a depressing picture of a growing spectre of joblessness which has badly affected the country’s most vibrant demographic.

    The total number of unemployed citizens rose from 7.51 million in October 2015 to 11.9 million in September 2016. Breakdown: 0.522 million lost jobs in the fourth quarter of 2015; 1.44 million were thrown into the labour market in the first quarter of 2016; 1.16 million became unemployed in the second quarter of 2016; 0.55 million became jobless in the third quarter of 2016.

    Unemployment among Nigerians aged 15 to 24 years rose from 17.8 per cent in October 2015 to 25 per cent at the end of September 2016. Among the 25 to 34 age group, it increased from 10.8 per cent to 15 per cent during the same period. About 15.9 per cent of women and 12 per cent of men were unemployed as at September 2016. Joblessness in urban areas stood at 18.3 per cent; in the rural areas, it was 11.3 per cent.

    There is little doubt that the sharp increase in unemployment is largely due to the ongoing economic recession. The economy contracted by 1.5 per cent in 2016. Inflation rose steeply to 18.7 per cent over 12 months. Falling oil prices have affected the exchange rate of the naira, causing it to plunge to N520 to U.S. $1 in February.

    However, there are deeper underlying causes for the country’s jobs predicament. Even when the economy was growing at an average of seven per cent annually, it was essentially jobless growth, powered by an influx of foreign investment mainly targeting the then booming oil exploration sub-sector at the expense of small and medium-scale industry which are the biggest employers of labour. Then, as now, graduate unemployment was at crisis levels, and underemployment was the norm rather than the exception among the youth.

    The Buhari administration must use the opportunity of the recession to implement structural reforms that will ensure maximum levels of employment as well as sustained economic growth. The recently-launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) gives employment a significant amount of attention: job creation and youth empowerment are one of the plan’s key outcomes, and investing in people is a major strategic objective. The ERGP ultimately aims at creating 3.75 million jobs per annum between 2017 and 2020.

    These laudable goals must be implemented competently and honestly if they are to succeed. The country must build on its agricultural base, which is still the biggest contributor to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), as well as the largest employer of labour. Waste must be drastically reduced and agro-allied industry must get the priority it deserves.

    Nigeria’s infrastructural deficit must be tackled comprehensively. The perennial problem of inadequate power supply in particular must be dealt with using innovative approaches, including the increased utilisation of renewable energy, the comprehensive decentralisation of power generation and distribution, and the enthronement of equitable billing practices. Roads, bridges and other transport links must be rehabilitated so that they no longer constitute a drag on trade and investment.

    Public procurement procedures must favour indigenous suppliers. Infrastructure projects must utilise local expertise and labour. Timelines and deadlines for the execution of projects must be strictly adhered to. Incompetence must be sanctioned without fear or favour. Government should be wary of outside interference in its policies, no matter how well-meaning it may seem.

    Nigeria has no choice but to ensure that the majority of its people are fully and gainfully employed. The consequences of failure are simply too bleak to contemplate.

  • ‘Mile 12 clash caused by joblessness’

    Lagos State government has been urged to create jobs to curb hooliganism among youths.

    Chairman of Okada Riders Welfare Association of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Comrade Adeleke Adegboyega, who gave the advice in an interview with The Nation, said the clash in Agiliti near Mile 12 was caused by joblessness.

    He said people should not blame commercial motorcyclists aka Okada riders for the crisis.

    He enjoined the government to show interest in commercial motorcyclists’ welfare, because they are contributing to the state’s development.

    Adegboyega added: “We reduce pressure on the government by creating jobs and contributing to the economic development of the country through transportation.”

  • NDE to tackle joblessness

    NDE to tackle joblessness

    The Acting Director-General , National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Kunle Obayan, has said steps are being taken to harmonise skills-training centres under the supervision of the NDE to give skill acquisition a direction and enforce of standards.

    At a forum last week, Obayan said the directorate was embarking upon the registration of unemployed persons as well as keying into the government programmes on social protection of vulnerable people.

    He said: “There are discussions under the auspices of the Ministry of Labour and Employment to bring in all skill centres in the country that are owned by government agencies. There is no need for proliferation of the centres because that does not help the overall reduction of unemployment in the country.“

    Obayan said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, had spoken about putting up a memo to that effect so that it is approved that skill centres come under the supervision of the NDE. He said this would enable the NDE schedule trainings in areas skill centres are located.

    He added that even though this will still not be enough until the NDE can have at least one centre in every local government area.

    “When unemployed persons come to NDE, we direct them to go to the Job Centre where we run checks on the type of unemployment individuals have, determine the barriers to employment and then recommend what they need to do to overcome unemployment challenge,” he said.

    He noted that the NDE now has a set of computers that analyse curriculum vitae, do a carrier matching and profile unemployed persons for a job. It will also do analysis on the skill gap between that job that is most suitable for the individual and then determine a training that is most appropriate for such individual.

    “We know that a jobless person that is in the job market does not want a training that will last long. So, we have short-term training that is a quick fix. In a case that some people fall into the unemployable category, hope is not lost for such persons, as such people could then be considered for conditional cash transfer,” he added.

    Obayan said the NDE had a role to play in the implementation of the conditional cash transfer programme of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. He said the job centre would operate alongside traditional training centres.

    Despite the existence of 74 training centres, the NDE boss said they are not enough considering the number of the unemployed persons in the country, even as he said that the NDE currently has desk officers in each local government area in the country in its bid to extend training to the grassroots.

  • No excuses for joblessness: Meet legless Danfo driver

    No excuses for joblessness: Meet legless Danfo driver

    NO doubt, a disability is an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Everyone has hardships they encounter in their lives. But when someone with a disability is able to overcome all of the additional struggles in life, especially in Nigeria, then that is awesome.

    To find mega success, that is an amazing thing to behold. It takes a lot of strength and a complete no-fear attitude to go as far as driving a commercial bus without legs.

    Truly, there is ability in every disability.

    This is the riveting story of a 32-year-old Pius Abayomi Abiodun.

    Before 3rd of April 2011, Abiodun was your regular next-door okay until tragedy struck to change his story. He was hit by a hit and run driver while trying to fix his own bus that had a minor mechanical fault on Lagos Abeokuta expressway.

    Sadly, after spending over N4million at the National Orthopedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, he had no hope of recovering his lost limb even as he the grim reality of how to tender to himself, a pregnant wife and daughter stared him in the face.

    Disabilities can affect people in different ways, even when a person has the same type of disability as another person. Some disabilities may be hidden or not easy to see.

    There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s vision, movement, thinking, remembering, learning, communicating, hearing, mental health and social relationships.

    The truth is that anyone can have a disability and a disability can occur at any point in a person’s life, but the strength and courage to fight back the disability makes you a champion.

    You may consider your disability to be responsible for your joblessness and main reason why you prefer people pity you and look up to family members gather money for your house rent and monthly allowances.  You’re seriously a Joker!

    Pius, in his interview with informationng dot com, recalled how his legs were amputated and how he never saw begging as an option, but to commit suicide because he could not imagine surviving in Nigeria without his two legs!

    Bingo! He decided to join other physically challenged sportsmen at the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos. Few days after, Pius was still not pleased with his environment because he wanted to do something related to his first love- which was driving a commercial bus.

    Finally, he met Mr. Cosmas Okoli the owner of the Mobility Aid and Appliances Research and Development Centre, Amuwo Odofin area, Lagos.

    Cosmas encouraged, empowered and pushed Pius to look for a car dealer that could give him a bus and he could pay on installments.

    Pius succeeded in getting a dealer. Armed with his bus, he took the automatic Volkswagen Bus (Danfo) to Cosmas who fabricated some metals to the pedals, he simply called ‘LEGS.’

    A closer look at the device built by Cosmas which cost N50,000, showing the break and accelerator pedals are both controlled by a long rod underneath the steering.

    To apply speed, he pulls up the rod to his chest and to apply the break, he pushes the rod down. Pius has so mastered the use of his special device that most commuters who board his bus hardly notice the man behind the wheels has no legs.

    Till date, Pius still plies his trade from Oshodi Terminus and people will always call him by his sobriquet, ‘Oni Mama’ which means: “One with a mother.”

    In conclusion, are you a graduate or non-graduate without a job? Are you skillful but have no funds? Are you even blind or crippled with fear of depression?  If your answer is yes, then you’re your own problem, because I see nothing wrong with you to be jobless, you are just lazy.

    THERE IS A JOB FOR YOU SOMEWHERE, FIND IT NOW!

    To recapitulate the words of Usen Ner Ezekiel, our interview subject this week, there are jobs in this country. It only takes gut to go and seek out those opportunities.

    Bon appétit!

  • Cross River community relishes jobs tools

    Cross River community relishes jobs tools

    House of Reps member fights joblessness

    Things are looking up for the poor in Abi/Yakurr Federal Constituency in Cross River State.

    The lawmaker representing the area at the House of Representatives, Mr Bassey Ewa provided the residents with jobs tools aiming to lift them out of poverty.

    Items donated included 132 sewing machines, 25 tricycles, 33 motorcycles, 10 fairly used cars and seven welding machines.

    He also gave financial assistance to widows and elderly people in the area.

    Presenting the items to the beneficiaries on the grounds of the Yakurr Local Government Council, Ewa said the empowermen tools cost N50 million.

    He said he was pleased to bring empowerment to his people in furtherance of his commitment to service.

    The beneficiaries also expressed their joy, saying Ewa had lifted their spirits.

    The lawmaker addressed the people: “The confidence you have reposed in me to represent you, continues to inspire me daily to seek new ways to justify that mandate.

    “A great philosopher once said that posperity is the ability to make others prosper. I could not agree less with that insightful revelation. Democracy as an ideology and a system of government seeks the prosperity of mankind. What I seek to achieve is the greatest happiness of the greatest number.

    “That greatest number for me is the people of Abi and Yakurr Federal Constituency that I represent.

    “What we witness here today, therefore, is only a continuing episode in a long standing legacy of making democracy dividends for our people a tangible reality, not just a mere rhetoric.

    “As the concept of empowerment continues to change with the dynamics of time, my emphasis this time is to stimulate the enterprenuerial spirit of our people in tandem with present economic realities.

    “As you may be aware, my entire political journey has been devoted to exploring unprecedented ways of promoting human development and strengthening our collective identity. You would recall that my resounding ability to negotiate during my tenure as Honourable Speaker, Cross River State House of Assembly, attracted to Yakurr, the present urban status for Ugep, an accomplishment that opened up new vistas for the area including the construction of nearly all roads in Ugep and Ekori, the historic upgrading of Ugep Leboku to an international festival in Cross River State, from where many Yakurr sons and daughters have won various prizes ranging from cars, trucks, sewing machines, refrigerators, cash prizes and more, all to empower them.

    “As federal legislator in constant touch with his constituents, I have made it a point of duty to always come home during the Christmas period to celebrate with my people. During this time, I distribute food items, livestock with financial assistance to the people of Abi and Yakurr as my token contribution for them to have a great Christmas. This Christmas will not be different; I will extend the same largesse to our people and party supporters.

    “I am motivated by the admonishment of the respected Chairman of our great Party, the People’s Democratic Party, Ntufam John Okon and indeed all well meaning Leaders of our Party, that we must ensure that our constituents feel the impact of democracy and that, any such gestures, which fulfill the spirit of our Party manifesto to bring government closer to the people, needs to be supported and celebrated.

    “I hereby present to you, these various empowerment items, ranging from cars, tricycles, motorcycles, sewing machines, welding machines and financial assistance to widows and the very old persons in our society. The philosophy behind this choice of empowerment to meis that, “rather than give a man fish, teach him to fish”. My hope and intention is that, this phase of empowerment will stimulate and promote a renewed spirit of enterprise, that will contribute to making the people of Abi and Yakurr active partners and players, in the emerging Cross River State marketplace and Nigeria in general. I charge the beneficiaries to make judicious use of these items to improve their lives.

    “Let me state categorically that, my strength is drawn from the exceptional visionary leadership of His Excellency, Senator Liyel Imoke, Governor of Cross River State, whose economic blueprint for Cross River State has become a national and international reference point, and I extol him.

    “Inspired by his vision, and drawing from my tutelage under him, i will continue to identify and promote those core values that will enhance the welfare and wellbeing of the great people of Abi and Yakurr.

    “It is my sincere hope that this empowerment will bring added value and benefit to your lives and your endeavours.”

    Chairman of the PDP in the state, Ntufam John Okon lauded the lawmaker for the gesture but called on him to do more.

    Beneficiaries who spoke to Newsextra expressed appreciation to the lawmaker for remembering to look after their welfare and promised they would ensure the judicious use of the items they received.

    They also called on him and other political office holders to continue in the same spirit to check the rising spate of poverty in the state.