Need to reduce age requirement for recruitment

I wish to call on the federal government, through the Federal Civil Service Commission and the National Assembly to immediately remove the age barrier for job recruitment and employment in Nigeria. Age limitation has been a barrier for many youths in the course of searching for a job. Therefore, there is a need to draw […]

Need to reduce age requirement for recruitment

FILE: Cross section of applicants during a recruitment exercise in Abuja in 2018.

I wish to call on the federal government, through the Federal Civil Service Commission and the National Assembly to immediately remove the age barrier for job recruitment and employment in Nigeria.

Age limitation has been a barrier for many youths in the course of searching for a job.

Therefore, there is a need to draw up new policies that relate to equality of opportunity and treatment in access to employment at all levels. It is obvious that insisting on age requirements has increased unemployment in the country, which is a great threat to security.

Recently, the Police Service Commission in conjunction with the  Nigeria Police Force announced the recruitment for 2023 into the force for constables. However, the instructions provided to prospective applicants should be between the ages of 18-25 for general duties and 18-28 for specialists.

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This has disqualified many of our young people who have an interest in the job.

The right to secure employment and work without any form of discrimination is a universal right. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the government and other stakeholders to come up with a framework that will ensure all age barriers and other discriminatory practices in the employment process are resolved, especially now that there is a high rate of unemployment in the country.

 

Muhammad Maidala Umar Azare, [email protected]