By Ohanusi Choice
Research has shown that one in every two Nigerians in the country's labour force is either unemployed or underemployed. The latest unemployment report published by Nigerian's Bureau of Statistics shows that 27.1% are unemployed. And which in the year 2018, the unemployment rate was 23.1%. The country's underemployment rate reflects those working less than 40hours in a week and Jobs that underutilize a person's skills, time or education which has increased to 28.6% with a labour force of 80.2million, just about 21.7million Nigerians are unemployed.
This is a figure that exceeds the population of 35 African countries. The young Nigerian youths aged between 25 – 35years are the ones affected badly.
This unemployment rate tripled since President Mahammadu Buhari first occupied the seat as a President in May 2015. How do we except the country to be better when the leaders are not putting an effort to drive the growth of the economy and creat jobs for the young youths. Nigeria's job crisis does not exist in a vacuum.
Talking about the educational system which recorded that only one in four Nigerians applying to university gets accepted. Due to bribe and corruption that has taken over the system, people pay to get professional courses in the university, most people even pay to get admission. Lack of jobs and opportunities have increased armed robbery and kidnapping in the country. 70% of graduates have literally gone into Fraudulent businesses and prostitution.
The undergraduate students now have this ideology that SCHOOL IS A SCAM. Most of them no longer have that zeal and hunger to further their education rather than getting quick money by doing all kinds of illegal business. And due to the bad jobs and economy of the country, Wealthy and middle class Nigerians are increasingly sending their children abroad to study.
In the US alone, the economic impact by Nigerian students Is about 514million dollars in the 2018/2019 academic year from the institute of international education. The lack of jobs in Africa’s largest economy and most popular country is unlikely to get better soon.
Bleak economic growth and the rise in unemployed Nigerians will only compound the country’s long running problem without lifting citizens out of poverty. Despite sustained high oil prices in the 2010’S. Nigeria overtook India in the year 2018 as the country with the most people in extreme poverty. Unemployment has become a threat to political, socio – economic fortunes, peace and stability.
World bank survey in 2011 showed that 40% of those who joined rebel movements were all motivated by lack of jobs. And 50% of those who were involved in one form of criminality were also motivated by lack of jobs. The dreadful state of unemployment in Nigeria is known to all Nigerians with it’s excruciating and biting presence in their lives.
How about 2020 crisis? The pandemic disease affected a lot of people in the country, most of the victims lost their lives due to lack of infrastructures in the country. The leaders who were affected flew out of the country to get better treatment leaving the poor victims to perish in a deadly disease.
How do we expect people to survive this disease when the country lack proper equipments. Most health workers were also affected due to lack of personal protective equipments. 30% of individuals lost their jobs. Most businesses were terribly affected. The poor even cried and begged for common garri to drink.
Yet nothing was done by the leaders of this country. We pray for the betterment of the country but there is no effort made by the leaders, there is no implementation to ensure that people of Nigeria still have to hope for a better tomorrow.
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