Worrying Unemployment Situation

 Unemployment is the most critical problem facing Nigeria today.
The problem of unemployment means the problem of providing work to those who are willing to work.
Causes of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria include years of successive military rule, endemic corruption; policies somersaults; the civil war; dilapidated infrastructure; and gross mismanagement of the diverse and infinite resources given to the country by nature.
In fact, unemployment in Nigeria is an irony of some sort. It is like the saying goes “suffering in the midst of plenty”
Unemployment has resulted in more and more people who do not have purchasing power.
Less consumption has led to lower production and economic growth has been hampered.
Unemployment also has social consequences as it increases the rate of crime.
Though reliable statistics are hard to come by, secondary-school graduates is believed to consist of the principal fraction of the unemployed accounting for nearly 35per cent to 50percent.
The rate of unemployment within the age group of 20 to 24 years is 40 per cent and between 15 to 19 years it is 31 per cent.
Long forlorn faces of qualified but jobless people paint a picture of hopelessness while a handful of Nigerians live in absolute opulence.
Unemployment is a very serious problem that has to be taken as a serious threat.
That is why we welcome efforts by Emeka Wogu, minister of Labour and Productivity to open a data base on all unemployed persons in the country.
He said that "I am keen on developing a database that will have the statistics of the unemployed Nigerian youths both skilled and unskilled, both graduates and non- graduates”
But that is just one of the several measures needed to curb the dreaded menace.
Government has an obligation to create job opportunities or at the very least, create an enabling environment for private enterprises to provide employment for our people.
Tackling unemployment requires sincere and committed leadership alive to the yearning of the citizenry.
Government must first of all work on the eradication of corruption and ensure good governance as a way of fast tracking the development of the country.
Efforts should also be intensified in the area of ICT education by setting up computer training school or clubs that specializes in teaching indigenous software.
Conducive environment complete with functional public power supply 24/7 should be provided to help fire new start ups that can contribute meaningfully to the development of the country.