Tackling unemployment among youth

Unemployment is no longer a new issue, especially among the youth. As the population of the youth increases, so does the unemployment rate. The increase in unemployment rate is as a result of lower economic growth, poor educational system and training, and  general lack of interest in entrepreneurship. As a result of this, the rate […]

Unemployment is no longer a new issue, especially among the youth. As the population of the youth increases, so does the unemployment rate.

The increase in unemployment rate is as a result of lower economic growth, poor educational system and training, and  general lack of interest in entrepreneurship. As a result of this, the rate of violent crimes increases, kidnappings, and social delinquent behaviour among youths are at a high rate.

In addition to the aforementioned factors responsible for unemployment, there is a lack of vibrant industries in Nigeria that can absorb competent graduates. It is also well known that the youth unemployment situation has been aggravated by flawed and inconsistent government policies on employment.

Over the years, different programmes have been introduced by various administrations to address youth unemployment, and this has been an issue of significant public concern.

But these programmes directed at addressing youth unemployment have faced different challenges including finance, the absence of good administration and implementation, inconsistent policies, unimpressive responses from would-be trainees, and unqualified resource personnel handling the training programmes.

One thing is certain that the approaches to solving the problem of unemployment have failed many times. We cannot expect a different result by doing exactly the same thing. We must adopt a new approach that is not only comprehensive, but also feasible, effective, solution-oriented and practicable.This should start with training the young people.

It is sad to note that almost all aspects of the school curriculum are outdated. Most of the subjects being taught neither address contemporary issues, nor contribute to the mental growth of students. The system is designed to glorify grades instead of knowledge and skills.

We must redesign our curriculum to meet current needs. The new curriculum should contain subjects that teach contemporary skills such as critical thinking, communication, creativity, information literacy, independent research, leadership, and digital literacy. It should focus on the practical aspects of learning which will motivate students to learn.

The government should organise free or heavily subsidised training, removing the financial barrier that scares a lot of youths away. This will help bring the best training to those who need it.

Today, a lot of youth in Nigeria have viable business ideas but face the challenge of capital. The government needs to take effective measures to make sure capital is available to prospective business owners, whether as grants or interest-free loans, and they should establish programmes that are guided with effective policies to ensure that youths are given the best of opportunity to stay employed.

Kingsley Obinna Nwoko, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri