Last week’s column on youth unemployment elicited the greatest number of reactions to my column in recent times. Today, I will share the mail of Olusegun Oshinowo whose analysis of the issues is so profound. Next week, I will share more.
Dear Eugenia,
I just finished reading your article in BusinessDay.
I hope those that should know and have the capacity to turn the economy of Nigeria around would read that article. The truth is that Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb of huge population of restless, knowledgeable and irritable youths. Time was when we would blame poor quality education for the unemployment plague. This does not tell the full story as we now have a large number of youths who had the best quality of education in Europe and Americas idling away at home on account of absence of job opportunities. I know of a friend’s son with 8 distinctions at SSCE, 3 As in Physics, Chemistry and Maths at the ‘A’ Level, first class degree in Chemical Engineering and a distinction in the same discipline at Masters’ level from a British university who had to leave Nigeria back to the UK on account of frustration in his quest for job in Nigeria.
First, I am not too sure our government has a firm understanding of the scope of the problem. Secondly, if they do, I am in doubt if they realise that we require a multi-pronged approach, which should be underpinned by a strong, healthy and job- riched economic growth. All the talks about quality education, technical and vocational skills training and entrepreneurship development programme are laudable and required and should be pursued. But we must bear the end in mind: the need to have a healthy economy to absorb the outcomes of all those endeavours. In effect, we need an enabling environment that will be supportive of entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprises. It is business that create jobs.
My further thoughts on this issue are as follows:
Basic economics: it is only an economy that is growing in all sectors that will produce jobs. Ours is a developing economy, blessed with resources and ordinarily, if we can get our acts together, we should not be talking about unemployment. The truth is that over the years growth in the economy has been confined to one or two sectors because of bad policy options and poor governance. If we had vigorously and consistently pursued our policy on backward integration, diversification, forward integration or extend the Local Content Development Act in the oil and gas sector to other sectors of our economy, we will have a better story to tell today about inclusive growth and job creation.
I will tell you a little story: when I became the executive secretary of the Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employers in 1992, I went on a familiarisation tour of our member-companies. Challawa and Bompai industrial estates in the North and the Jos axis were a beehive of industries. The South-East boasted of big and vibrant industries across all sectoral groups. The South-West with major concentration of industries in Lagos and Ibadan was flourishing.
When I assumed my current responsibilities some 8 years after and embarked on the same trip, I was shocked to my marrow the sight that confronted me of those industrial estates: desolate, ghost-like and completely in ruin. Gone with them of course are jobs and the potential for more employment.
The only fortunes that did not change in those locations are the fortunes of government and its functionaries for the simple reason that their survival is not tied to the fortunes of these companies in view of the fact that the monthly allocation from Abuja far outweighs the revenue generated from taxes paid by these companies. We must address a political structure that fosters dependency and encourages indolence in government. If each of our federating states or geopolitical zones would have to eke out its survival in the absence of federal allocations or the dole from the centre is significantly reduced, and we back this up with a constitutional amendment that allows resource control and contribution to federal purse rather than allocation from federal purse, you will be amazed about how the fight for survival will lead to a flurry of economic and commercial activities and consequently, lead to job creation.
b. Nigerians are not benefitting from the job opportunities derivable from the comparative advantage of huge market which it has. We do not have a good immigration policy that aims at protecting Nigerian jobs for Nigerians.
If I were to have my way, I will conduct a census of all job positions being held by expatriates in Nigeria and determine the competences and skill sets required to hold those positions. Thereafter, I will seek applications from Nigerians that have those qualifications and get them assessed by a panel of experts that will include the employers of those expatriates. Through policy and law, I will then get the employers to replace the expatriates with the qualified Nigerians within an agreed timeline.
Every responsible nation of the world will always protect the jobs in its clime for its citizens.
I share your concern and I pray that the new government of the day will take job creation and protection seriously.
Oshinowo
Eugenia Abu
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
