Tayo Agunbiade
6 September 2007
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Lagos — Unemployment is undoubtedly one of the major challenges facing many nations today.
That it is a global problem is no longer news. The advanced nations such as France , Britain , Italy , Germany and the United States all bemoan the high rate of unemployment within their shores. Coming back to Africa, Nigeria has her own fair share of unemployed persons and through various strategies is doing her best to address the issue. The National Directorate for Employment was set up in the 80's to find a solution to the problem. Also over the years there has been a rash of various initiatives at the state level. Skill acquisition centres have been built to tackle what has unceremoniously been tagged as the "Area Boy Syndrome". Most if not all advanced nations have comprehensive figures for their unemployed and are able to tell whenever their numbers over a period of time increase or decrease. But in Nigeria can we say the same about the number of unemployed persons in our midst? Have we gotten to the sophisticated level of compiling reliable statistics about the basic issues of life? Do we - or better still does the government -know the exact number of people who are unemployed in the country? Is there a database of the unemployed?
Keeping tabs on the unemployed or conducting a head count is not exactly a new idea. It helps governments to monitor the growth rates. It is a useful tool during electioneering and is sometimes known to make or mar the results of an election. While counting the unemployed maybe common place in some countries, it is a fairly novel idea in Nigeria . On August 27th 2007, Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State took the bold step to flag off a registration exercise of the unemployed persons in the State. The exercise which was conducted in all 26 constituencies of the State is part of a broader plan to address issues relating to economic growth and security in the State. Applicants were required to fill in a form in their Local Government of origin and submit back to the point of collection. The exercise which is being conducted under the auspices of the Bureau of Employment Generation is expected to provide a clear picture of the level of unemployment in the State. It will also form the basis of the State's strategic planning and enhancement of youth employment.
The exercise has proved to be a welcome initiative. Scores of youths turned out to collect the forms and were visibly excited that the government has decided to count them with a view to include them in the on-going plans to further boost the economic growth in the State. The monitoring of the exercise revealed that many of the youths were very keen to find employment and hailed the exercise as "novel but timely". Others viewed it as "a census but this time of the unemployed". The initiative will however not stand in isolation. It is not just about counting numbers for the sake of it. The building of a database of the unemployed is closely linked to the State Government's on-going investment drive.
Recently the National Investment Promotion Council (NIPC) noted that investors now preferred to site their businesses in Ogun State . This should not really surprise anyone. The first term of the administration saw a beehive of activities in the physical infrastructural sector. The dualisation of the road leading the State capital, Abeokuta for instance is just one of the numerous ways in which the Government has shown just how seriously it views the issue of investment as one of the keys to development and growth. The Gateway Advantage as it has become known as is a strategy that seeks to take maximum benefit from the location of the State to attract both foreign and local investment. Over the past four years investment in-flow has seen industries and businesses such as banks, eateries, fashion houses etc open up shop in the State capital. In the past few weeks, two new upmarket bakeries have opened their doors to customers. Abeokuta once described as a "civil servants town" is now the toast of the corporate organisations.
Employment generation is intrinsically linked with investment and this is why the State Government has gone on a massive investment drive and simultaneously created a business-friendly environment for them to thrive in. This has paid a lot of dividends and projects such as the Free Trade Zone in Kajola while another one is being proposed in Igbesa. The corporate world as should be expected is very keen to be a part of what is clearly going to be a huge success story. Hence the Free Trade Zone in Olokola, Ogun State on which a ground breaking ceremony was performed in March by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has already attracted a multi-billion naira LNG project. The OKLNG project as it has been called has huge potential for employment generation, job and wealth creation within the two States of Ogun and Ondo which it bestraddles.
The compilation of a comprehensive data bank of the unemployed will not only assist immensely with any planning the government wants to embark upon it will also serve as a pool for employers of labour particularly the private sector. It will complement the small pool of human resources the Bureau of Employment Generation has been quietly amassing through its Job Sourcing and Placement Centre. The Centre set up in 2006 has served as an avenue to find jobs for unemployed graduates, artisans etc. In these days of a booming business in the real estate sector, it is not unusual for the Centre to receive requests for a list of artisans and other skilled personnel.
The Government is however realistic enough to know that it can not employ everyone. Governor Daniel also noted this fact when he said: "there is a need for the active involvement of the private sector in the reduction of the rate of unemployment. I wish to make a strong and passionate appeal to all employers of labour, particularly those in the private sector to cooperate and collaborate fully with this scheme".
The compilation of a database for the unemployed is not the only novel initiative the Government has embarked upon in trying to find solutions to unemployment amongst the youths. Bearing in mind the yearly turn out of graduates from its tertiary institutions, the Ogun State Government in February established the Ogun State Unemployed Graduates Scheme (OGUGRADS). The initiative is a yearly exercise targeted at graduates. It provides social welfare in terms of a monthly stipend of Seven Thousand Naira (N7, 000) for them as they search for jobs. That is not all. The Scheme provides training in vocational skills at the Odeda Training Institute for a period of time before encouraging the graduates to search for jobs. This way the unemployed are given new skills and support that will encourage self-employment and build up the spriti of entreprenuership.
Reports have it that several of the graduates have found jobs both in the public and private sector. The pace may be slow but none the less it is encouraging to see that the Scheme for the unemployed graduates and the Job Sourcing and Placement Centre can serve as models for creatively addressing unemployment in the nation. The creation of the database in addition to the two other initiatives outlined above is not only a demonstration of the government's commitment towards addressing unemployment, but it also testifies to the passion to raise the standards of living amongst the unemployed citizenry and ensure that they begin to earn a sustainable income.
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