The Democrats remain the only political party to consistently insist on more effective labor market policies for unemployed youths in Nigeria, while opposing discriminatory number of unemployed youths in Nigeria.
.
Unemployment still remains the major cause of Nigerian poverty. Yet Nigeria has one of the highest rates of youth unemployment in the industrialized world.Despite strong economic growth, youth’s full-time unemployment rate for 2006-08 was 55.9%, 4 times higher than the all population unemployment rate. While general unemployment fell in the last 12 months, youth unemployment increased. Further, 1 in 4 unemployed young people is long-term unemployed due to bribing and corruption that is affecting some of Nigerian youths (mostly graduate), that is, they are unemployed for longer than a year.
The “un-official” or hidden figures are much worse. The Australian Bureau of Statistics labor force definitions, count a person as employed even if they work as little as one hour in a week.
This matter has important consequences for youth, as young youths are more likely to pick up short-term temporary jobs than older workers, effectively removing them from the count of unemployed persons “formal president of Nigeria Mr. Obasanjo .O. once encourage graduate to engage themselves in learning trades like Farming, Fishing etc. which is very unfair to graduate that has spent many years in Universities”
The number of under-employed youth is close to twice the official “unemployment” rate. These figures do not take into account those young youths who stay in education longer because they can’t get a job, or those who are careers. Youth unemployment has long term implications because it occurs at the beginning of a person’s working life (experience). Not only that youths suffer from a lack of income, but joblessness at this age also means they miss out on opportunities for skill development that results from on the job training and subsequent work experience.
Young youths who experience unemployment early have a higher probability of experiencing joblessness and lower earnings in the future. Studies finish year 10, two in five males and three in five females are likely to be unemployed seven years after finishing school, compared to only one in fifteen of those who completed 12 years.
Although, International labor Organization argues that promoting the skills formation of Nigerian youths are an important aspect of policy, but is not sufficient to address the problems of youth unemployment – they need access to jobs. The problem facing young Nigerian youths is that full employment has been replaced with full ‘employability’ as the main goal of government and the way Manager, Director or rather officials are correcting bribe (money) give someone appointment letter – aiming for a highly trained unemployment queue chasing a finite number of jobs.
Full employment should be a major macro economic goal for the government because it maximizes output, yet there has been nothing in the last few years’ budgets to address unemployment, let alone youth unemployment. Though Nigerian government sets out National Director of Employment (NDE) to help the graduate and non-graduate to learn practical works in items of being self-employed (some of the youths that is under-going the training are complaining that the money they are collecting at the end of the month is to small for their feeding and transport fees).
The Nigeria Democrats believe the only way to improve jobs opportunities for young Nigerian is through a National Director of Employment (NDE)developed in consultation with young youths.
The National Director of Employment (NDE) would provide a comprehensive transition support system, including learning pathways plans for each young person, individual support for those at risk of leaving school early, and transition follow-up mechanisms. The system would provide: provision for “transition brokerage” for all schools that might take various forms including: case management and personal support; mentoring; peer supported programs; integrate education, training and work experience at the secondary and post-secondary schooling levels, backed up by career counseling; additional funding to further extend the Jobs Pathway Program.
Our Youth Employment Strategy offers a youth guarantee1, involving targeted assistance. Every young Nigerian should have a choice of free full time tertiary education, OR apprenticeships or traineeships OR entry to the workforce through subsidized employment (including a national entry-level state and territory public sector youth recruitment program, to be targeted at young people from disadvantaged backgrounds) OR accredited vocational training and integrated paid work experience.
The Democrats argue that the Government should abandon its obsession with budget surplus and spend more money on creating various type of jobs that our youths will fixed their self after graduating from school not by push or forcing graduate into Force Agencies like Immigration, Prison, Custom, Army etc.
I argue the Federal Government to please do something about the bribing and corruption that is involved when it comes to employment in Nigeria. In report the year recruitment, some died while some hurt themselves in an interview conducted by many employer like Immigration and prison. It is very unfortunate that a graduate will be looking for job 5 to 6 years. Creation of job vacancies be good if it will go in various department so that I graduate that studied mechanical will get a job in his/her field not finding a job in a department he/she cannot do any thing to promote the society or organization.
