The challenges of unemployment in the country

Unemployment is a social and economic problem that most countries are facing today. The situation is made worse in a society such as Nigeria that abhors poverty but glorifies materialism with less emphasison hard work. 

This social malaise no doubt is caused by many factors with population explosion as one of the major causes of unemployment. 

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa with over one hundred and seventy million people. Out of the number, more than fifty percent are within the labour force of the country. This implies a serious pressure on the few available job opportunities. 

Also, Nigeria academic curricula from primary school to secondary school level which are geared mainly towards theoretical rather than practical education exacerbates the problem of unemployment. 

As a result, prospective job-seekers are not relevant to the various endeavours in the public life where they seek employment. 

In order words, many graduate of high schools have no place in the economy because they do not have any skill to offer for exchange. 

The course of study is another factor that reduces the prospects of employment for fresh job-seekers in the country. Some of then suffer from incurable aversion to practical or entrepreneurial ventures which require application of skills. 

It is interesting that the government in recent times has begun a new emphasis on technical and entrepreneurial education which encourages self reliance and new approach to the challenges of unemployment in the country. 

Fresh graduates and other job-seekers should embrace the trend as white collar jobs where people will just sit under air conditioned offices,do little or nothing and get paid are in short supple or not available. 

Some times, employers of labour are not helping matters as they offer jobs to people based on certain prejudice such as ethnicity, sex,religion,family,bribery and political affiliation. 

Unemployment in Nigeria is indeed growing at an alarming rate. Many of the youthful population out of frustration, have been forced into criminal activities such as internet fraud(yahoo yahoo), armed robbery, kidnapping, pipeline vandalism,political thuggery, and other despicable crime for a living. 

But it is not right for the youths to see crimes as a way of getting back society which has failed to give them an opportunity for a better life. 

Government should therefore, ensure that the agencies responsible for addressing the issue of unemployment carry out their work creditably. Also, the federal and state government 

should restructure the academic curricula to suit the demand of the present day economy.

Young graduates should learn to apply their knowledge and talents to productive ventures as a way of overcoming unemployment. 

Again, loans and credits should be made available for young graduates who wants to start up smale scale businesses. 

Intensifying the fight against corruption

  

corruption is a complex and varied phenomenon according to John Fambe. "it is a global issue that occurs in different forms and degrees in different parts of the world".
In Nigeria for instance, corruption is a canker worm which has eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation, leaving it continually with stunted growth. 

Corruption witnessed in Nigeria include inflation of contracts, fraud and falsification of accounts in the public service, examination malpractice in education institutions, bribery and perversion of justice among the police and legal practitioners, personal enrichment, embezzlement of public funds by government officials, oil theft and election malpractices. 

In fact, corrupt practices in the country are monumental and too numerous that they appear to have become norms in the society, making efforts to stem them by anti-corrupt bodies like the ICPC and EFCC uphill tasks. 

Highly placed individuals are known to collude with multi-national companies and importers to swindle the country of billions of naira in oil and contract business annually. 

This is money that would have gone into poverty alleviating projects, generation of employments, provision of standard health care services, environmental sustainability, housing projects, power and water supply as well as payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities and many others. 

Obviously, these are more important to drive economic growth and development of the country than diverting public funds to private pockets which deprive people of their rights to better living. 

Corruption is so entrenched that anyone hoping to do any kind of business in the country must be very careful. In the political arena, corruption is very endemic. Politicians apparently compromise everything in their desperation to raise money ostensibly for their campaigns but in reality for rigging elections. 

They appear sometimes to be acting in the interest of the parties that sponsor them while they are mostly driven by personal aggrandizement. 

Also Nigerians have developed an unhealthy love for easy wealth while at the same time loosing their traditional appetite for hard work the consequence of which is sharing of the so called "National Cake" without bothering of who bakes it and how it is baked. 

It is important that Nigerians show greater commitment to the fight against corruption with a view to reducing it drastically and freeing the country from the clutches of canker worm. to combat it government must bring corrupt politicians and citizens to justice while those in authority should endeavour to desist from corrupt practices. 

similarly, government should address the culture of impunity and ensure that stolen assets which have been recovered are ploughed to productive ventures. the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari holds a lot of prospects for future generations with its commitment towards to the elimination of corruption in the country. 

Therefore, all and sundry should not only support the fight but imbibe the culture of transparency and reject the urge to get rich quick through dubious means.