From Bode Durojaiye, Oyo
An undergraduate at the Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo, Miss Ayisat Nifem Adeosun, has called on the Federal and State Governments to formulate coherent policies and legislation that would enhance job-creation through small enterprises and poverty alleviation schemes.
Adeosun made the appeal in a paper presented at a Youth Enlightenment Forum in Oyo town.
In her paper entitled ‘Why do youths lose hope?’, the undergraduate noted that “no nation can achieve growth or any form of stability that will enhance socio-economic development in an atmosphere of chronic youth unemployment”.
“Youth unemployment leads to anti-social behaviours such as ethinc militant, social miscreants, vandalism, illegal bunkering, armed robbers, insurgents and kidnapping. This is due to infliction of psychological trauma as a result of the breakdown in social contracts, isolation from the world of work, loss of responsibility identity and respect which the position at work guarantees people. Youths with no jobs feel insignificant and inferior, as they always have the impression of being alienated from the rest of the society and treated as parasites.”
Identifying the causes of graduate unemployment in the country, she enumerated faulty manpower planning and expansion of educational facilities that have unduely raised the expectations of youths, the economic recession, unwarranted preference for expatriates in employment, graduate attitude to some types of jobs and locations, as well as the certainty of such graduates whether or not they are employable, despite their university degrees.
Adeosun noted that most youths that take part in criminal
activities across the country are uninformed, do not know why they are doing so, why they should not be involved or the consequence of their actions.
“Without doubt, disciplined, focused and law-abiding youths can create a bright future for the nation, since they are the most active segment of the society, and major determinant of the degree of disorderliness and instability in a society.’’
She pointed out that it is necessary for Nigerian youths to be
liberated from the shackles of ignorance and misconception, adding that these cannot be achieved except through timely, accurate and relevant information and enlightenment.
“A great percentage of criminal activities and violence perpetrated by youths in the country is the result of some communication gap, a disconnect between youths and leaders at various levels which continues to widen overtime, and are often manipulated by opportunists who lure these youths with promises of better standards, and end up turning them into willing instruments for perpetuating violence in the pursuit of their group or individual interests’’.
She noted that the government has put in place lofty policies to better the standard of youths but lamented that “these opportunities have not benefitted those for whom they were meant because they have not been able to access these opportunities due to their ignorance of such opportunities.’’
