It is
undeniable that the hope or prospect of a nation depends largely on its young
ones. The future of a nation depends on the quality of its youths. Therefore,
prime attention must be accorded to them to be fully equipped and empowered
with certain skills for national development.
The major
challenge of ensuring the productivity of youths through several outlets of
employment has been the nightmare of developing nations. Nigeria certainly is
not left out in tackling this quagmire. The rate of unemployment in the most
populous country on the continent is alarming; according to the National Bureau
of Statistics (NBS), the rate of employment stood at 23.9 per cent in 2011,
while urban unemployment was estimated at 29.5 per cent. Things are about to
get worse this year, with an expected rise by about 2 percent. Nigeria’s
youthful population was estimated to be somewhere around 80 million, mathematically,
that is 60 per cent of unemployed youths in a population of about 170 million. What
is the way out of this?
Before we begin to think about a way out, there are few
questions that will throw us into great thought. Put on your thinking cap! Why
do we need to be employed? Are jobs created merely to get people employed? Can
the government employ every unemployed person? I don’t have all the answers
either but this I know, employment cannot be given to everyone.
In resolving the
problem of unemployment in the society, the most common approach is laying
blame on the government. Of course, who wouldn’t? They are the highest
employers of labour and they should bear the brunt.
Some people in this part of the country believe that
self-reliance or self-employment is the way out, and they may be right. Since
the highest employer of labour cannot employ, we better become our own
employers. The big problem is; everyone is depending on the government who
cannot employ everyone. Our educational system at best has trained us to be
employed rather than become self-reliant. If there was no civil service, no oil
companies or telecommunication giants, we won’t survive. Hell no! The
government should provide for its citizenry but it isn’t, that is not the end
of the world.
So, train to be self-reliant; there are numerous
opportunities out there that are unexhausted. Explore them and venture into the
world of your own dreams where to a large extent you determine your own fate; you
are more likely to live in the leisure of your own comfort. Don’t wait for
government, think of the problems littered all around you.
In concluding
this piece, I must state that being self-reliant is not for lazy, incompetent
and thin-skinned people, may be that is why many people prefer the government offices
with little or no work to do except for a steady inflow of income. The truth is
that a number of youths out there are not employable. For self-reliance to
work, we must develop our organizational, professional and interpersonal skills
to give us an edge in a competitive market.
Here are some of the benefits of self-reliance; the
possibility of conquering fallow areas is high. When individuals venture into
businesses and pursue their dreams, areas not originally exploited will be discovered.
Secondly, the economy experiences a healthy and steady
progression. Output will be high with a resulting effect on the factors of
production. Additionally, there will be a more balanced economy especially in a
country that depends almost completely on oil.
Thirdly, rural-urban migration will be greatly reduced. Many
set out to discover greener pastures leaving behind great opportunities. People
will be productive in their various localities without having to venture into
the cities.
Finally, the country is rid of idle people which translates
into reduced crime rates and involvement in other societal ills.
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