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| Unemployment | |
It is no longer news that the rising unemployment in Nigeria has soured to the extent that virtually two thirds of Nigerians are unemployed and underemployed.
This cannot be without consequences as Nigerians of all ages have resorts to all kind of crimes and criminality to make ends meet.
Unemployment as the state of not having a job has a historical antecedent, virtually in all the countries of the world, available record shows that even in some developed western states, large number of people are continue facing the threat of unemployment. Here in Africa, we have the worst scenarios where lack of independent and productive economy continue to hamper the desire for a massive employment generation among the young and the old. Nigeria in particular is a hub for the unemployed. Graduates of all kinds from universities, colleges of educations, polytechnics, health and environmental institutions among others have after graduation been rendered jobless, with little or no available vacancies to cater for their massive influx in both public and private establishment, those with informal skills where not encourage with the necessary incentives and enabling environment for their skills to thrive. This was the result of the years long mismanagement of our abundant natural resources, massive corruption by stealing almost everything accrued, and the international dominance of the Nigerian economy, making it unable to be independent and productive such that work would be available for all. Consequently, today we are witnessing one of the most chaotic society (Nigeria) in the world, with attendant crimes and criminality ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping, insurgency, cultism, hooliganism, advanced fee fraud 419, thuggery, house shop burglary, car motorcycle snatching, cocaine drugs pushing and taking, banditry, rustling, prostitution and stealing of all kinds among the young and the old.
This had degrades development, increase the level of weapons in the hands of non state actors, led to unnecessary arrest and detention, turned courts to a much more busy trial centres, overcrowding prisons and forcing government to spend billions on feeding inmates, create state of fear of the unknown among citizens and put Nigeria on a bad light among the comity of nations.
Considering the fact that, it is the responsibility of the state to create an enabling environment, by providing available and huge opportunity in the public sector, and at the same time provide a robust support for the massive development of the private sector. By accomplishing this thus, massive employment opportunity would be created in both the public and the private sector, for both young and the old, graduates and non. In the long run, it would reduce the level of crimes and criminality in our societies as those available for crimes are highly engaged to make ends meet, thus (no idle mind would be available for the devil workshop). Recent government's effort to tackle unemployment is laudable, I urge the authorities at all levels to maintain the tempo and turn Nigeria to an opportunity state for all.
Umar Muhammad
mumarlere@gmail.com
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