Despite the Federal Government’s initiatives, such as the Subsidy Re-Investment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P), the Youths Enterprise With Innovation in Nigeria (YouWiN) and others, designed to tackle unemployment, the problem persists. If steps are not taken to urgently tackle the monster, it may pose danger to the country, writes TOBA AGBOOLA.
The content of the report was disturbing. It painted a bleak picture of unemployment in the world.
The Global Employment Trends for Youth released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported that an estimated 73.4 million youngsters worldwide are out of work.
According to ILO, the figure represents 12.6 per cent, close to the levels reached at the peak of the economic crisis in 2009 and an alarming increase of 3.5 million between 2007 and last year.
The report warned that the long-term impact of youth employment could be felt for decades, creating a generation at risk of suffering decent work deficits throughout their lives.
With this report, the growing youth unemployment in Nigeria should be a source of worry for the government.
The report noted that two-thirds of the working age population in the country are either unemployed or trapped in low-quality jobs.
In a country where accurate figures are hard to come by, it is feared that the youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is far more than what is published.
According to industry watchers, over 60 per cent of young people are either unemployed, working but in low quality, irregular, low wage jobs, often in the informal sectors of the economy, or not in the labour force.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) warns that the rising youth unemployment is undermining the country’s stability.
Its President, Abdulwahed Omar, called for a decisive intervention to tackle the problem. He warned that if left unchecked, the unemployment crisis could undermine peace and security.
Omar said: “Official statistics put the national unemployment rate at approximately 24 per cent. About 35 per cent works but in low quality, irregular, low wage jobs, often in the informal economy. As high as this rate is, it, nevertheless, camouflages the enormity of the unemployment crisis in the country. If unemployment and disguised unemployment were to be added to the figure, the crisis will become more glaring.
“With an estimated 80 million youths in the population, between 30 and 40 million unemployed youths constitute a veritable army of the hungry, disillusioned and angry. This set of people can undermine the stability, security and peace of any nation if left unattended to. There is an urgent need for decisive intervention to rein in the unemployment problem. The signal of strife and insecurity today are warning banners we cannot afford to ignore.”
Director-General, Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Mr Segun Oshinowo said the government and private sector should be blamed for the problem.
He said: “Nigerian youths have to do more in their quest to fight unemployment. Youth unemployment has persisted because many, including those with several degrees and qualifications, have failed to take advantage of the peculiarity of what the nation economy offers.”
According to him, over the years, particularly, since the past decade, the issue of youth unemployment and the dangers it portends for nations and economies has become a major challenge for governments at states and national levels. Experts and professionals have consistently proffered different types of solutions to combat the problem. It was time, he added, that the nation’s youths latched on to one or more of these initiatives to combat their unemployment situation.
Toeing the same line with him, the Director General, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Prof Longmas Wapmuk said many youths have not bothered to improve their skills and improve their success chances through learning, networking and engaging in creative ventures that would make them become self-reliant without being dependent on paid employment that may never come.
He said self-employment remains the only solution to the high unemployment rate among youths in the country and maintained that youth unemployment has persisted because the youth have refused to adopt measure that will see them becoming self-reliant.
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) believes youth unemployment has continued to grow because youths have failed to explore the various options available to them to get engaged in both the medium and long term jobs.
Its Director-General, Mr Muda Yusuf insisted that the country’s youths could end the scourge of unemployment if they could only look at how to improve their inherent skills with the aim of being the best in whatever they do.
According to him, there is a huge untapped market in the agriculture sector, particularly in Cassava growing.
He said: “There should not be any reason why any intelligent youth should complain of unemployment or remain in poverty. The agro-allied sub sector alone, can effectively tackle a large part of the unemployment challenge, if youths decide to key into it.”
An expert in human resources management, Sunny Agboju, said entrepreneurial concepts have been identified as the most formidable factor for combating the unemployment scourge.
Agboju, Recruiter and Managing Director, Prot Consulting Limited, lamented that youths have not shown enough determination in the battle against unemployment, arguing that many of them are lazy.
According to him, many of them, in spite of parading several certificates, lack the ability to write and speak properly at certain levels. Many jobless youths complain about the challenges that come with turning concept into reality without being ready to face the challenges associated with it.
Recently, the Joint Action Front (JAF) began a nationwide rally in solidarity with all categories of unemployed Nigerians , as well as working and oppressed people in the country.
JAF said this is part of its continuous exercise to demand the rights to jobs opportunities for all Nigerians irrespective of sex, ethnic or religious background
Speaking at the mass rally, its Chair, Dr. Oladipo Fashina declared that the rally continuous exercise would take place in the six geo-political zones of the country with Lagos as the starting point.
He said: “As we kick off this nationwide mass rally at the Nigeria Civil Service Union Alausa-Ikeja, Lagos, we appeal to all Nigerians that this is a continuous exercise that would take place in the six geo-political zones in the country with Lagos as the starting point.”
“We, therefore, call on our labour partners, the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC), the unemployed and all pro-oppressed and working people groups across the country to join our rallies effective to all the institutions of governments at all levels, including the Houses of Assembly to demand decent jobs with living wages for all unemployed Nigerians.”
He noted that the kick off is clarion call to Nigerians to arise to the challenge of system change, which to JAF means the socialist transformation of the polity.
Also, JAF’s Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Aremu, said: “Our position in JAF on the tragic incident of the death of scores of applicants during the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) job recruitment exercises of March 15, this year is that, governments at all levels, the federal, states and local governments, irrespective of political parties, are culpable because they failed to provide decent jobs and enabling opportunities for gainful employments.”
The way forward
On the way forward, Omar said: “To overcome the problem of unemployment, Nigeria must promote strong industrial policies that recognise manufacturing as a key engine of growth and decent mass employment for the national economy. The Federal Government must urgently initiate a range of measures to revive and project labour-intensive industries like textiles, food and beverages, construction, iron and steel sectors, and others”.
Wapmuk said the panacea to ending youth unemployment in the country, includes amongst others, youths re-orientating themselves and positioning their inherent skills for value change.
He said: “Change of attitude by the youths is crucial. Only self-education can make them successful. You can only earn a living with education; but with self-education, you can earn a fortune. They must pursue their passion vigorously and that will open doors for them.
“There are opportunities in the reforms that the government is doing in different sectors. It is expected that youths look out for the smallest in value chain in the reformed sector, including in areas where they don’t need to approach a bank to get big loans. They must be aware, go through the Internet and maximise the knowledge deposit in it.”
Oshinowo said every policy action and decision of government should be judged on the basis of its impact on job creation.
He said: “We cannot, of course, ignore the factor of good governance, as aptly exemplified by the Lagos State success story, which has created the most basic of skills.”
“All the aforementioned policy options should be underpinned by a sincere constitutional amendment that will enthrone true federalism and resource control. We should aim for a political structure where federating units will contribute to the centre, thereby assuming the status of multiple centers of productive economic activities and development. This, surely will spin off jobs in their millions and create sustainable employment.”
He urged the country’s youths to take their destinies in their hands and cease blaming the government and private sector operators for their unemployment woes.
ILO report urged governments to take immediate and targeted action to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. It further called for concerted efforts by employers’ organisations and trade unions across the globe.
The ILO urged policy makers to work together with social partners to address this alarming situation. The 2013/14 edition of the ILO’s Global Employment Trends for Youth report analyses a number of key policies and action that can be taken.
Coordinator of the ILO Youth Employment Programme and co-author of the Report, Gianni Rosas, called for a strong focus on growth and jobs, including through a more coordinated macro-economic response at national and global levels.
The report stressed that there is no “one-size-fits all” solution, adding that the key policy areas, identified in the ILO’s June 2012 call for Action is a global framework, which can be adapted to national and local circumstances.
The report also called for fostering pro-employment growth and decent job creation through macroeconomic policies, employability, labour market policies, youth entrepreneurship and rights to tackle the social consequences of the crisis, while ensuring financial and fiscal sustainability.
It stated that comprehensive measures targeting disadvantaged young people in advanced economies with high numbers of unemployed youth should be put in place. These include education, training, work experience support and recruitment incentives for potential employers.
It further called for integrated employment and livelihood strategies and programmes in developing countries, including training in literacy, occupational and entrepreneurial skills and business.
