Unemployment:The people's role

  • Added:
    Jul 24, 2013
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Unemployment:The people Photo by Ademola Taiwo

UNEMPLOYMENT:THE PEOPLE’S ROLE
Numerous issues we have being battling in Nigeria, from opinions to problem to crisis and impressively enough, people have been expressing their views. Even though we run a strangulated and strained democracy in Nigeria. Public opinion to some extent exist and it as been respected. But the peculiarity of Nigerians mentality is that WE BLAME. We blame the system, the economy, and mostly the government on virtually every issue, we blame the government of our incapability, because the average Nigerian lacks a sense of responsibility and a sense of patriotism towards her country. This negative attitude, is still making us been classified as a THIRD-CLASS COUNTRY. Here, we want to address one of the very disturbing issues, the age-long menace in Nigeria called UNEMPLOYMENT.

In the books, it’s stated that unemployment occurs when people are without work and actively seeking work, when able-bodied men, willing to work are unable to find a means of livelihood. It is state of joblessness. It should be noted, that this “economy disease “is not only affecting Nigeria but the global world. Well analyzed in the books also, are the various types of unemployment that exist ranging from the structural unemployment which is a miss-match between the supply and demand of laborers with necessary skill-set. We also have the frictional unemployment which is a voluntary decision not to work, probably to low wage rate. There are still other types of unemployment: seasonal, cyclical, and classical. But we will not be able to discuss that here because that is not our main focus. Commendably, we are blessed with brilliant economist in Nigeria and they have been able to analyze this heart-breaking problem and proffer theories to solve and eradicate it. But, this issue is we are still on war against unemployment. So, now, what is to be done?
The common rhyme in the Nigerian society when you mention unemployment and it’s cause “is the government” ‘the government should provide more jobs ““the government should provide more industries” Unfortunately, we have been repeating this for quite some years, and the government seem not to have an ear. Each administration, knows about this problem, but none has never thought of a lasting solution to it. I guess when the demands of the people were too much, we started hearing the language –entrepreneurial skill and acquisition. However, the government provides us with no skill to acquire. Other scholars have also informed the people of self-empowerment and being ‘YOUR OWN BOSS” That is brilliant! If there could be an enabling environment. Now, it’s time to address the issue not blaming the government or any unrealistic empowerment programmes. It’s time to take the problem from the roots. That factor that we rarely consider—THE PEOPLE.

My perspective about unemployment is our educational system, the means at which we acquire it. Before one is fit for the labor market in Nigeria, the first factor to consider especially in a certificate-orientated Nigeria is the educational background and the kind of grade; you came out with in the university. But unfortunately, the educational system is so corrupt. Right from the lowest level which is the nursery-primary school, this system originally should be a Montessori system of education for the children. but, this is quite impossible in Nigeria, because recently, the out-pour of nursery-primary school establishment is alarming. Considering a big city like Lagos state, it will not be surprising, if you find about ten different schools on a street. Sadly enough, some of this founders themselves; their educational background is nothing to write home about. You can imagine a “school cert” failed establishing a school, one tends to wonder, what kind of impact such will have on the children. The system is so corrupt, that, the viable business in Nigeria now is establishing schools at the very detriment of the children and we all know that once the foundation is crooked, we should not be expecting anything from such product. All this “mushroom” schools without the basic requirement bribe the educational officials to give them fake “government approved certificate” and sadly, this young mind acquire their half-baked education and moved up to the secondary school, where another display of corruption takes place.
Furthermore, the secondary school after having poorly scaled through junior secondary school up to the senior secondary. It’s time to write the final exam the senior secondary certificate examination (SSCE). It is no news, anymore in Nigeria that the body conducting the exam (WAEC) is full of various irregularities and loopholes which have dented the image of the educational system in Nigeria. We cannot successfully conduct the SSCE without, the issue of leakage of examinations questions and cheating in exams. Then we say the “youths are the leaders of tomorrow” It’s appalling how these youths are built. Then, we should not complain when we have corrupt leaders in Nigeria. Some of this youth, move up to the employable market with little or no knowledge, this youth cannot achieve a meaningful employment rather, he will do manual labor. While some progress to the higher institution, where the final stage and obvious corruption takes place, the means at which they get to the university, through the issue of special centers and the preferential treatment given to some candidates, who do not even worth the course is another issue. Apart from some people, have the resources to buy any certificate, they wish for, in any choice university in Nigeria. The students also, the manner in which they acquire education through corrupt-ridden and morally-unjustifiable lecturers, who could give marks to students that will satisfy them, mostly the female students. No knowledge is acquired, that will make such individual who paid is way through the university-employable. Even though, they could luckily be employed, they will not last in such employment, because they cannot cope, both mentally and physiologically the rigours of the labour market. All their lives, they have paid themselves through the system.

Based on the aforementioned above, the kind of course, we also study sometimes, determine our employability. Before courses are chosen, we should consider, the Nigerian system, what is required in the employment world, that is, what employers of labour are demanding. In a country like Nigeria, that is developing with low level of technological know-how, there are some courses that are unrealistic and will be difficult for one to get employed. This point should be taken seriously before young school leavers start jumping to apply for a course. Courses like heliosecismology the study of sun, astronomy, marine engineering and others are unrealistic courses in Nigeria.

Conclusively, Nigerians should change their orientations towards unemployment, we should move from the stage of blaming the government to addressing ourselves. Parents should aspire for a better educational value for their wards, because the school is one of the agents of socialization and it could build or mar the development of a child, if it is not done the right way. Let us move from blaming the corrupt leaders and their practices, because almost all of us are guilty. Let’s ask ourselves ‘’how did I get that admission to the university or pass my SSCE exam? ‘’how did i get that job am doing now?’’ Then, we will be more conscious.

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