PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, at the opening of the 53rd Annual Conference of the Nigerian Economic Society (NES), said the inconsistency in the educational output and skill demand was worrying. He thus stressed the need to devise practical solutions that could strengthen government's drive to overcoming poverty and unemployment. He hoped that the unemployment ratio would be drastically reduced by 2015, as agriculture alone is projected to generate about 3.5 million jobs between now and 2015 along the value chain. The President of NES, Professor Akin Iwayemi, said a lot could be learned from the Arab- Spring that sparked off changes in the North African countries and called for the need to address the issues of youth unemployment and poverty.THE United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had raised concerns over rising unemployment and the concomitant worsening poverty level in Nigeria. The UNDP had observed that for almost a decade now, Nigeria had been recording consistently high economic growth rate that had not produced commensurate employment opportunities and a reduction in poverty among its citizens - a case of jobless growth!.WORLDWIDE, millions are enduring the plight of unemployment. A report estimated that 10 per cent of the workforce in Europe and Central Asia ' some 23 million people ' were looking for work. In some less developed lands, more than a quarter of the labour force is without paid employment. In many lands, the search for employment presents serious obstacles, as high-school and college and university graduates flood the job market. In addition, having a degree or specialised training is no longer a guarantee that one will find job. The rapid growth of the cities of the Third World has had a significant impact on labour, with respect to both patterns of employment and the extent of unemployment and underemployment. GOVERNMENT alone cannot address the grinding unemployment situation in the country. The World Bank is investing about N45 billion ($300m) for skills development and poverty reduction in 20 states of the federation. There is, however, the need for all hands to be on deck and all stakeholders to be involved in the Nigerian project of equipping youths with the necessary skills, tools and support to make them serve as change agents. The present situation of youths' involvement in violent crimes-armed robbery, kidnapping, bombing and killings ' leaves much to be desired. A non-governmental organisation has argued that there are jobs for the graduates roaming the streets, but that these individuals do not possess the requisite skills needed to be employed by various industries.WHILE formal education gives foundational knowledge to the individual, it does not provide other necessary skills for them to become competitive and exceptional. There is the need to increase the proficiency of the youth and make them more employable. The supply of labour for development is dependent on increasing the skills of the youth to improve their employability and productivity. There is no doubt that the huge skills gap in the Nigerian labour market has accounted for massive unemployment in the country. There is the need for a platform to develop the skills of unemployed graduates while placing successful ones on internship in some companies with the possibility of being retained permanently. Soft skill acquisition and leadership development are critical for nation building and wealth creation.THE creation of urban employment opportunities should be a priority issue as one of the goals of the nation's general economic policy, reflecting the impacts of industrial policy investment. Credit policies economists should also come up with ideas that would help the government address the issue of poverty and youth unemployment. There is the need to provide solutions to the mismatch between education outcomes and skills demand in order to ensure that the country's educational system provides the necessary skills required by the labour market. High poverty and unemployment rates among youths have become pervasive global problems that deserve considerable attention and resources. THE situation deserves urgent attention taking into consideration the fact that the world is barely three years away from the target for achieving the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) on reduction of poverty and hunger. It is time to move away from jobless growth strategies toward inclusive and pro-poor growth strategies that equip youths and women with required skills for decent employment.
Click here to read full news..
