23MN OF NIGERIA'S YOUTH ARE UNEMPLOYABLE

With an unemployment rate of 28.57%, the revelation that 23 million of Nigeria's youths "are unemployable" was a tough pill to swallow. Mr. Depo Oyedokun, Chair of the House Committee on Youth and Social Development made the announcement while presenting a bill that would require this fact be considered in all government policy. Oyedokun stated,

"Of the over 40 million unemployed youths in the country, 23 million are unemployable and therefore susceptible to crime, hence the need to articulate what could be done to salvage the situation... [the] aim is to create the enabling legislative framework that would ensure the total emancipation of the Nigerian youths."

WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS
Regardless of how accurate Oyedokun's numbers are, the possibility that so many young women and men are not adequately prepared to enter the work force is startling. In a country with a high level of unemployment (though there are many foreigner working in Nigerian mines), and where at least 800 industrial firms have shut down since 2000, this statistic means that able bodied Nigerians do not have the necessary skills and qualifications they should have received during their studies.

Unfortunately, this revelation is not shocking given the realities of Nigeria's education system. Once the shining beacon on the African continent with people coming from the Carribbean and even as far away as Asia to take advantage of reputable institutions, Nigerian students now sit for months on end in their homes waiting for classes to resume because their teachers must strike to get the federal government to agree to a living wage for them. This despite the fact that Nigeria's legislators become automatic millionaires once they gain their positions. In a society where too many young women are forced to resort to other unsavory professions to make the money necessary to pay for their education or support themselves and their families (as is often the case), because they cannot graduate and cannot find jobs, it is to be expected that the quality of education will decline.

As Oyedokun noted, the fact that these individuals are unemployable indeed makes them more likely to commit crime. It is therefore no coincidence that kidnapping has become a thriving business that allows young people to make huge amounts of money that they would otherwise never see. Nor is it shocking that far too many resort to using the internet to scam those that are greedy and/or unsuspecting. It is also not a surprise that so many disillusioned young men take to the call of violent Islamist groups such as Boko Haram or even take up arms as militants in the Niger Delta.

NIGERIA MUST NOT FOLLOW THE SIERRA LEONE EXAMPLE
This reality - the lack of options and opportunities for Nigeria's young people is one that cannot be ignored because to do so would be foolhardy. There is some evidence to suggest that the lack of economic opportunities for young people has created enough discontent to start wars that tear nations apart. Sierra Leone provides a possible example. According to David Keen's 'Conflict and Collusion in Sierra Leone' the situation with that country's youths created the perfect time bomb that led to years of civil war and destruction. Specifically -

• Large youth population
• high competition for economic opportunities and services
• dependence on a single natural resource
• the neglect of other crucial areas of the economy
• high unemployment

Although the problems above do not on their own lead to war, it cannot be ignored that these factors likely play a large role in creating social insecurity and instability. In the case of Nigeria, many of these factors are undoubtedly in existence, though there are pushes to reinvigorate other parts of the economy but these attempts rely heavily on electricity and infrastructural development - things that Nigeria is forced to play catch up on due to years of corruption and neglect. Nevertheless, author Mark Weston asserts that Nigeria's government would do well to not allow the same mistakes that brought Sierra Leone to its knees do the same to Nigeria.

THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM

What is more troubling than Weston's advice, Oyedokun's statistics, or the everyday realities of life in Nigeria is the fact that Nigerians have allowed things to get as bad as they have. Sadly, the average Nigerian is faced with the need to survive and care for their families. Nonetheless, as a legislator, Oyedekun must go one step further in his job as Chair of the Committee on Youth and Social Development. He, and his fellow legislators, must ensure that they do their part to finance Nigeria's public education sector and make it competitive and productive. More money spent efficiently will lead to better trained teachers which will in turn lead to better trained graduates. Additionally, legislators must work harder with their state governments to create jobs in their home districts as this will give more young men and women opportunities to earn a living and start their lives independent of their parents. Cross Rivers State for instance has finalized a contract to bring a Six Flags amusement park to that state. It would be the first such establishment on the African continent, and in fact the first outside of North America. This park could lead to the creation of jobs not just at the planned amusement park itself, but additional jobs in the service and tourist sector as visitors from Nigeria and neighboring countries come to take advantage of the park. The benefits of such a park could be exponential and thus beneficial to the state and others affected by it. There are many examples of how state governments have successfully taken steps, big or small, to create job opportunities for citizens, and it is time for legislators to do more than create courtesy bills. Laws that guarantee job creation are necessary to ensure that young Nigerians have a chance at a successful future. The Nigerian economy presents many challenges but if fully utilized, it is more than capable of keepings citizens employed.

And, as for the 23 million "unemployable" Nigerians, Oyedokun and his peers would do well to provide a remedy such as additional educational programs provided at little or no cost to allow graduates to improve their qualifications so as to increase their chances of gaining employment. It is the least that should be done to serve those who need help the most in a country where every day and every person should count in Nigeria's future.

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