The statistics are scary. The figures of the rate of unemployed Nigerian youths are simply frightening. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) our dear country is on the verge of unemployment bomb, ready to explode any moment now.

Going by the four year survey (2003 and 2007), Benue State has the highest figure of 67.4 per cent. It is followed in the diminishing order by Yobe (19.9%),Federal Capital Territory (17.4%), Niger (17.0%), Kogi (16.5%),Kwara (16.4%), Delta and Ekiti (15.9%). Singled out for commendation were Lagos and Rivers states said to have provided the enabling environment to reduce the unemployment rate. Both the Federal and several state governments were blamed for poor budgetary performance.

In a similar vein, the World Bank in June 2009 lamented that over 40 million young Nigerians were out there in the labour market not having decent jobs to keep body and soul together. They lack access to quality food, decent shelter and healthcare delivery. The then Labour Minister , Adetokunbo Kayode admitted that the figure could be far more than quoted. And adding its voice, the International Labour Organisation, ILO described it as a serious job crisis. Urban jobless rate, it noted was constantly on the increase. Amongst the openly unemployed rural populace almost two thirds are secondary school graduates, affecting between 35 to 50 per cent of them. Yet, as at independence in 1960 unemployment figure of qualified Nigerian youths was put at 16 per cent.

True statistical figures are hard to come by with regards to the size of Nigeria's labour force. From 18.3 million in 1963 it rose to 29.4 million some two decades later in 1983.Unemployment in agriculture, including livestock, forestry and fishing took a dip from 56.8 per cent within the same period. It is much worse today. Employment of casual workers, which should be the exception rather than the rule amounts to 60 per cent in urban cities of Nigeria of the 21st century. And the youths who are employed work long and labourious hours for Lebanese, Indian and Chinese firms who pay them peanuts at the end of each agonizing month. The luckier ones parade the city streets hawking one foreign product or the other under the harsh, dehumanizing sun. Those not so fortunate are maimed by obsolete factory machines that cut off their limbs; worsened by the grief of not being compensated for such monumental losses.

The dire consequences of mass youth unemployment are here with us. Name them: blood-letting armed robbery, rape, hostage-taking for ransom, illicit drug trade and addiction, as well as political thuggery. There may be no respite for peace-loving Nigerians. And this is because these unemployed youths, many of who are graduates read about the bloated bureaucracy of government. They know that about 80 per cent of the nation's oil money goes to satiate the pecuniary tastes of the all-conquering politicians, who have turned the nation to their personal fiefdom. Yet, make less than 10 per cent of the population.

These same youths have seen the shameful boxing bout which took place at the hallowed chamber of the House of Representative not too long ago. They know it had nothing to do with their welfare or job security but over sundry allegations of corruption leveled against their top hierarchy. They have read that their Senate President pockets a billion naira in allowances alone every blessed year at a time the Food Policy Research Institute, Washington has ranked Nigeria 20th on the Global Hunger Index, GHI. And at a period the UN Human Capital Development Index, HDI says Nigeria is the world's 17th poorest country. They have read the Global Financial Integrity Report which states that between 1970 and 2008, the shameless and irredeemably corrupt African leaders stashed away 1.8 trillion US dollars in foreign vaults, with Nigerian politicians accounting for a tidy 89 billion dollars!

They know the Federal Government promised to create 10 million jobs by 2020 but they are not in the least excited or amused. Why? It is because the same government, back in 2002 approved a New National Employment policy aimed at achieving full employment for the youths and encourage more private participation in job creation. They pledged to link education with the needs of the labour market. That was eight good years ago and like most of such high sounding rhetorics they have fallen flat on their faces.

Simply put, the government which is constitutionally mandated to look after their welfare and ensure their security has failed them woefully. In response, they feel no allegiance to the government but like orphans in their own country. They see no future for them because many of their parents are out of job. Those who remain and those who have since been retired are not paid their entitlement, all because they refused to steal while in government service.

As rightly suggested by the World Bank government should provide constant electric power and good access roads. The criminal neglect of the renewable and vast potentials in agriculture which is the root cause of the systemic rot must be redressed. Farmers, especially at the rural areas should have access to credit facilities with low interest rate. More graduates in agriculture should be empowered as farm extension workers. Private sector participation is required. Local production and processing technology should be encouraged with adequate funding so that Nigerians produce much of what we currently import. Government must battle the monster of corruption in high places, headlong. Money recouped from offenders should be channeled to job creation. The school curriculum should place greater emphasis on entrepreneurial and information technology studies. Such road not taken will lead us all to perdition. The time to act is now.