Healing The Dis-Ease Of Unemployment In Nigeria.

Mayowa J. Ajibodu
Nov 30, 2017
3 min read

Our generation is unique, creative and innovative. The world is evolving, so is the youth with creative abilities. In the midst of it all, we have our limitations; a limitation that has become a source of frustration to the youth, and community at large. I am an African, a Nigeria breed. I live in the part of the world where little attention is given to creative minds. Where the rich enrich themselves and their beneficiaries and the qualified ones are left with NOTHING. In Nigeria, the mushroom growth of unemployment is drastically alarming. People are suffering from unemployment crisis. Companies are retrenching staffs, government are busy battling with policies that may not be effective at the end…..A lot of things are just not encouraging. We have heard of government creating jobs in their manifesto, till now, more than enough people are still unemployed. What could then be wrong?

Just in the last quarter of 2016 till date, the rate of unemployment according to statistics has increased to 14.2% from the 10.2% it was in the previous year. This has made the number of unemployed people within working age to increase to about 11.546 million in 2017. Figures and facts don’t lie, but the people may LIE! In as much as the Government has a role to play in curbing unemployment, the youth is found guilty in certain areas. Do you know that so many of our youth are lazy? In fact, some of them can not even write good curriculum Vitae. It is that bad. A lot of these youth has the internet yet don’t know the usefulness of it in curbing unemployment- they just want the government to do everything.

I have made my research and I discovered that to reduce the rate of unemployment, every one, every sector and the government need to look at some of the causes for unemployment in Nigeria; - Lack of electricity - Poor quality education- the educational structure in Nigeria should be such that will encourage entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation. Theories alone can’t help, there is need for PRACTICALS! - Lack of skills - Negligence of Agriculture and other natural resources. - Corruption – Diversion of public funds meant for the masses into one individual account without doing job (There so many ghost worker)

- Insincerity in the implementation of employment programs (We have heard of so many empowerment platforms that government set up but how many people have benefited in all of it?)

The above highlighted points are just few out of the causes of unemployment. There are so many factors but not withstanding, we must all play our part to curb the menace of unemployment in the country. If only the government can be transparent enough, may be other private organisations and individual will rise against this disease.

Unemployment is a disease, it is spreading fast. Graduates are passing out every year. The labour market is getting crowded daily. Our youth must be willing to learn, be skillful and innovative. Investors should invest in talents, government should formulate viable and visible policies that we help curb this disease and reduce the high rate of TAX- which is one of the reasons companies no longer want to employ more hands or increase staff salaries. I believe if all these things are carefully looked into, unemployment will be cured finally. I am a Nigerian and I’m committed to fighting this disease till the end. You too can join me create the awareness or support our foundation to reach out to more youth across the country.

Together we can SHUN UNEMPLOYMENT. #IamANigerian Mayowa J. Ajibodu Anti-Unemployment Crusader & Founder/Convener, Shun Unemployment Foundation. 09092167741