Unemployment and Youth

Unemployment and Youth

Nigerians fond of blaming her leader on their failure to attain some necessities or when predicaments befall them. Some can also blame government for malaria after his negligence on environmental sanitation. But this phenomenon is not only with Nigerians alone, it is common all over the world. Even in America, where average African will assume she has all the facilities without lacking in any, they are complaining bitterly about some necessities their leader fails to provide.

To criticize government brings seriousness and helps the government to have focus even when the sycophants are praising him blindly. I see opposition as a challenge for effective leadership without them, the leader may not be focused. So, the leader should see oppositions as a compass to direct him to better direction. The most celebrated African leader, President Nelson Mandela was criticized by his oppositions when he was ruling about the Economic inefficient and other sectors they taught of improvement.

Let not forget that Apartheid Government who jailed Nelson Mandela for 27 years also educated him and Peace Laurent, Desmond Tutu and many other prominent black of South Africans. When apartheid was in vogue, comparative religious debates were still going on between Christians and Muslims of South Africa while the Christians were ruling. Back home, when military junta was ruling, many Nigerians were still making millions, even many were exposed to millions because of their activism. It is interesting to know that Segregation and Racism educated and persecuted Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson and Martin Luther King Jnr. Their voices were still heard when the white were of inhuman behaviours. With racism in vogue, Martin Luther King Jnr went to London to participate in oratory competition and today, his speech, “I had a dream” will continue to echo in the mind of the Black Americans. So, nobody has excuse of hiding under the existence of corruption and epileptic infrastructures for his failure to be creative and become a successful entrepreneur. Wake up to reality and be productive for your own sake.

When I read, “There is absence of serious, concrete, realistic, short and long term solution to youth unemployment in Nigeria.” Chief Olusegun Obasanjo continues, “I am afraid and you know I am a General. When a General says he is afraid, that means the danger ahead is real and potent.” That was the comment from elder state man who ruled Nigeria for approximately 11 years. I told someone that, “Chief Olusegun Obasanjo knows better.” He knows where the problem emanated from and how appropriate solutions can be applied. He can now become an adviser to Mr. President and find short term and long time solution to unemployment in our great nation of good people.

Putting all blames on government is unrealistic, the youth need to be reorientated, encouraged and empowered. They also need to be motivated and enlightened on how to be creative and become self reliant without waiting for white collar job that is day dream.  I have come to realize that Nigeria Youths are the manufacturer of their problem. We fail to see the treasure where it is hibernated, we refuse tap it and refuse to create one. I believe I am one of the youths whom truly I am.

I always wonder how British Petroleum (BP) knew there was oil in Oloibiri, Bayelsa State and came in 1956 to exploit our natural resources. Were there no Nigerian engineers and scientists who could discover the black treasure in our land? Where were the Nigerians then to discover oil in other parts of the country where oil later discovered? It means we were sitting on the treasure for decades without realizing it. Something was wrong somewhere! You may wonder how Dangote Group knew there was limestone in Obajana, Kogi State before he sited Cement Company at Obajana. That is exactly what I am talking about opening eyes and see treasure where it is hibernated.

During a seminar, I told participants who were dominated by youth that, “every course of study has areas of specializations, and the least is teaching.” But, how many graduates are ready to teach today? At least to start from scratch before you reach your destination. So, a graduate is supposed to identify areas of specializations in his department and choose one profession out of many.  A graduate must be able to teach three secondary school subjects conveniently but the story is not the same for some graduates. Honestly, I saw a corps member who refused to teach because he had no proficiency at any subject. Not even English Language he claims to speak fluently. In fact, I have seen in a situation where a graduate could not express himself fluently in lingual Franca - English language. Who is to blame for that misrepresentation of the institution which produced him?

Some blame our educational system of not prepare graduates for the task after the four walls of higher institution. I said that accusation doesn’t fit our educational system. Anyone that is conversant with our educational system will see enough opportunities for graduates to become entrepreneurs. From 100 level, they engage in practical, assignment, test, mini project, survey, Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and Industrial Attachment (IT). All those exercises listed are for what? Simply to prepare them to be self employed after graduation. The problem is the perception of the students who see all the exercises as means of getting higher grade but not to lay their hands on them and be their own bosses.

I just want to give one example and others should meditate on the opportunities in their fields. A Microbiology student, who did many practical in laboratory, went for SIWES, then IT and later served in Medical Laboratory for one year. Please tell me, “does the system provide job for him?” unfortunately, this guy could not see that the system had empowered him to be an entrepreneur in his field. He left school and waiting for white collar job for years. He doesn’t realize that people need to test their blood, urine and excretion. He doesn’t see that prospective couples need to verify their genotype. Every day, people are carrying out different medical tests but my microbiologist is still at home waiting for call from ministries, hospitals, even banks where he is irrelevant, he is still waiting for their calls for interview.   

The success of a graduate does not lie on the school he/she attended. It is your perception and exposure to relevant information that make one successful. If you can identify the opportunity in your department you are tantamount to be successful after graduation, but if you are unable, your success is doubtful. Today, all over the world, the course one reads does not also determine what you are going to do for living after graduation. What can you say about an engineer who is now a sales representative in a company? Do you have to condemn an accountant who becomes an actor? Yet you cannot blame an educationist who is now a fashion designer. If you discover yourself, try to improve on it and turn it to money machine and become your own boss.

Have you ever realized that only graduate is looking for job? Have you seen a tailor, mechanic, bricklayer, carpenter and many artisans looking for job after graduation?  Only graduate will be looking for job after rigors of study in tertiary institution. If the youth can be productive after graduation, more employments will be created for other youths to live on. Many people are proficiency in many professions but fail to turn it into a productive career. I have seen many people doing cooking, decoration, MC, mending, acting, installing, baking, repairing and many others for free all in the name of family, friend and brothers in creed. If you can do any of these for free yet you can do it to make a living. Why not create job out of your talent?

Humble beginning is what today’s youth lack. Some want to become millionaire in a day while some want to become CEO in a month. If you ask all successful persons about their stories, you will hear how rough the road to success was. But no youth want to sacrifice anything before success comes their way. It was said that Thomas Edison who invented light bulb tried 10000 times before he was succeeded in his invention that will continue to light the whole world forever. How many of us can continue trying something after third trial? There is nothing like failure in dictionary of dreamers but people who stop trying. If you continue to do something repeatedly, you will meet the opportunity to be successful, but the second you stop you will lose such opportunity. Let the youth learn the methodology of humble beginning from the stories of great men.

Government and top paid jobs are for the children of powerful politicians and who knows who in the society. Whenever Central Bank, NNPC, BPE, NCC and many top institutions recruit, who are on their lists are the children of politicians and directors that can manipulate their way. Hardly you see genius among them talk less of ordinary graduates. Until when government recruits on merit, before we can have evenly dividend of democracy. This is one of the reasons people are complaining bitterly on government for not finding solution to the nation unemployment that is looming. Government needs to fix this flaw and introduces recruitment on merit at all agencies and institutions.  

It is confirmed as an entrepreneur that company registration takes few months in this country before one can be registered. In Singapore, it takes few hours. You can see the difference. If we are talking of development, Singapore is developing every day, this is the country without any natural resource but liberated herself from third world to first according to one of her founding father, Leen  Kuan Yew. Development of America, China, United Kingdom, Germany, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirate and many others are achieved and proud to be developed because of avenues created to encourage entrepreneurship and small businesses. Government has to declare emergency in this sector, so that, people will be able to operate businesses legally.

What I want us to deduce from this piece is that government has lapses to amend while the youth has to change for better and get the methodology of creativity right. It is better for them to learn from their counterpart from advanced countries to see how educated and creative they are. Government doesn’t encourage young entrepreneurs but always engage in lip services and broadcast program that meant for few people and little success. Whenever 20 people out of thousands are empowered, government capitalizes on its achievement and forgets about the rest and leaves them to continue living in abject poverty.

In a nutshell, it is government responsibility to create jobs for the citizens without prejudice or regionalizing the process. A good leader sees the entire followers as one when he is discharging his responsibilities. We, the youth, if the jobs don’t circulate or when we are beneficiaries, we should do the jobs diligently and have at the back of our minds that either retirement or retrenchment may come. How can we survive if such comes suddenly? Let us be creative and burn ourselves with the spirit of entrepreneurship.
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