Unemployment: Are There No Jobs?

When I was an undergraduate in one of the Nigerian universities, I was full of hope. I was as proud as peacock and overtly displayed pride. The slogan “Greatest Nigeria Students!! great. Greatest gbosaa!!! Great was our exclamation those days. I remembered clearly in one of my sophomore days when I looked down upon some jobs and openly boasted that I would never stoop so low to take them when I graduated. On graduation, I basked on the euphoria of the achievement made. Now that I am a graduate, I have received the highest shock of my life. The bliss waiting for graduates has disappeared  The job is not forth coming! The available ones are reserved for graduates from well heeled families, or extremely brilliant students.

Today, the once pride Nigerian student has taken to driving job, and all kinds of menial jobs name them.. The future is still filled with uncertainty. At first no academic that worth his salt would stoop so low to trade his degree for less fancied unskilled jobs. how is the Mighty falling! Today we have even doctorate degree holders stooping so low to a less fancied driving job. Ask me today if I can still shout “Greatest Nigeria student” I will look at you sternly, wave my shoulders, wave my hands, and finally ask you if you are mocking me. Where is the bliss that used to await us upon graduation? we paid through our nose to get these degrees, and do not deserve to parade the street long before we get these jobs. This is really sad and portends great danger for the future of our country. We have sat long at home bemoaning oneself.

Each time I hear about how our collective commonwealth is being embezzled, I ask myself if our leaders are really considering the masses. My worry is the constant rate of money laundering that far surpasses the solution to curb these unemployment rate, and no nexus between the education institutions and the productive sector of the economy. These are the major causes of unemployment in Nigeria. By the time the government increases the numerical strength of the various sector of the economy, this unemployment will be reduced to the barest minimum.

Those who are advising graduates to be self employed should know that to do so is capital intensive which is not at our disposal. And even in most cases it is a long term commitment that does not yield instant profit. It is true that the absorptive capacity of the labour market in Nigeria has shrunk significantly, making it increasingly difficult for graduates to secure job. But my question is this, has the government done the necessary things to absorb these graduates? Left for me, the jobs are there if not for a fraudulent intent by some people in charge. Ghost workers are they not human being? Unemployment has been on the front burner in the national discourse and yet the government does not seem to budge. Double the numerical staff of the existing workers after all they are grossly understaffed. Take for example, the education sector where some lecturers are teaching up to five universities. The government needs to devout more resources to them not abysmally funded.