Opinion: Who is the Unemployed Nigerian Youth - by Victor Enengedi

As the government tries to figure out how much trouble it had gotten itself into by making the promise of N5,000 stipend to unemployed Nigerian youths, one paramount question that it would have to consider will be, 'Who is the unemployed Nigerian Youth'

This is one question that I haven't been able to answer myself, neither have my colleagues and friends who I have thrown up the question to been able to unanimously agree to one explanation.

If you are also trying to figure out the answer to the question yourself, maybe I should let you know that according to a recent statistics by the National Bureau o Statistics, the rate of unemployment in Nigeria has risen about 60%.

In recent times, unemployment seems to continously grow in very frightening percentage, and there are indications that it will continue to grow even next year considering the global slum in oil price and impending economic crisis caused by a mismanagement of resources by clueless governments.

So when a government makes a promise of paying a part of it's population a certain regular amount of money without taking proper records or charting a proper course to how that will be achieved, I think that is highly irresponsible. Given the downtrodden status of the economy, it would be highly inconceivable to actualise this mission unless the government isn't honest to itself.

Understandably, this was all part of campaign promises to lure voters to their corner. As a matter of fact, I can't help but feel that whoever came up with the thought to include such a proposal into the list of campaign manifesto is nothing short of an ignoramus.

Still trying to figure out who the unemployed Nigerian youth is, I have thought about several groups of people...

Is the unemployed Nigerian him or her that has graduated from secondary school and yet to find a source of income or probably still waiting to get into the university, polytechnic or any other form of tertiay institution?

I have also wondered, if the unemployed youth refers to a graduate from the higher institution who has continued to send CVs and resumes to hundreds of companies without getting a positive response and still yet to get a paying a job?

How about the young lad/lass who just left a technical college or skills acquisition centre with the hopes of starting his/her own business, but can't seem to find a bank willing to give up a loan without demanding an impossible collateral and high interest rate.

I bet many did not consider the okada man who no longer has a bike to ride because the police or the government has seized and confiscated his tool of survival for some reason, neither was the bus-driver who no longer has a bus to drive because the bad roads keeps making the vehicle end up in the mechanic workshop.

How about the man who just got retrenched because the company he was working for needed to downsize in order to cope with the realities of the biting economic situation which many have ascribed to the fall in global oil price

 One will not be far from the truth to say that the escalating and worrisome rate of youth unemployment has assumed an alarming crescendo

The Statistician-General of the Federation, Yemi Kale noted the difference between unemployed and “not having work”, saying that only those within the working age of 15 and 64 years and looking for work, but cannot find, are considered unemployed.

“When those in the age brackets of 0-15 years and 65 and above are removed, all others in the economically active population who are not working are either not available or willing to work, not unemployed, like student and full-time housewives,” Mr. Kale said.

Considering the fact that, the current population growth rate is put at 2.8 per annum in Nigeria which accompanies an already national population of over 167 million people. Therefore, the extent to which these challenges poses to the nation is remarkably worrisome in recent times.

Nigeria with all of its natural resources ought to have a very strong economy capable of employing almost all employable citizens, but the unemployment rate in Nigeria turns out frightening and quite alarming, so much that it makes you afraid for the future of the country.

Youth unemployment in now to be seen as a pandemic. No wonder many youths have taken to so many vices - armed robbery, kidnappings, internet scams, prostitution, but to name a few.

So, if the government is still considering the payment of  N5,000 stipend to any group of people, I must confess that that would be a totally wrong move, because stipends will in no way solve the problem, but probably escalate it in very precarious ways.

Firstly, in a corupt country such as ours, there's no way that these monies will get right down to the people who most deserve it. We have all been through similar services in the past where government officials have been exposed to often syphon monies meant for the citizens or for social amenities.

Secondly, condsidering the huge amount of money that will be expended on this, wouldnt it be more appropriate to portion it into building the economy, improve the capacity of the refineries, encourage agriculture, explore alternative energy sources,  fix power problems, create enabling environment where small scale businesses can grow and exploitation and exploration of other mineral resources?

Government, payment of N5,000 stipends is not a solution, but a totally wrong move. The economy as it is needs diversification. We need to look inward to other revenue sources and quit on the dependence on oil. Only if we do these, will the economy be boosted to a situation where people will not be interested in any stipends or white collar jobs.

 

Victor Enengedi

Senior Editor at Tori.ng

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