By Charles Ogugbuaja, Ph.D.
Put simply that the unemployment phenomenon pervading in Nigeria is seemingly the creation of our present crop of political leaders.
I make bold, and in unmistakable terms to posit that if our leaders want to end Nigeria's fast growing unemployment, poverty (63 per cent) and geometric rise in inflation, in the next three months, it will simply become history. That is just the fact. May be they are afraid of likely instances of lack of servants to serve them if everybody is comfortable in Nigeria.
Let us tell ourselves the truth. Is the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), created in the late 1980s during the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), as he was fondly called, relevant? Does that agency have teeth to bite today and tackle the hydra- headed unemployment phenomenon in Nigeria? For me, the answer is NO. Some states created similar agencies and later closed shop. So, the option is to pursue a better and decisive strategy to curb this embarrassing unemployment issue in Nigeria once and for all. Period.
I had sold a dummy to the globally known performing governor of Abia State, His Excellency, Dr. Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, on practical ways of handling unemployment from the level of Ph.D earners in Abia State, cascading downwards, but that dummy cum proposal, is probably, yet to go beyond those I sent it through. An alternative and better option of reaching our God gifted governor, is this platform. I am concerned because I am an indigene of Abia State. And I want to boldly say that after attending four universities in this country, earning five degrees, one diploma and four certificates among other training opportunities here and outside Nigeria, i have the fecundity to declare that i can advice His Excellency, Governor Alex Chioma Otti, OFR, in this direction.
For anyone who cares to read this article meticulously, tenaciously and with digestive mind, should wait for an enriching reward. Abia is lucky that it has, for a start, nine LGAs that has been ring -fenced by the Aba Power, a subsidiary of Geometric Power Limited, being supplied electricity almost 24/7. So that potential sustainable economic growth, in double digit, is there. Govt Otti created this inclusive growth approach.
I had in mind, a similar adoption, carried out by the then German leader, Adolf Hitler, who promptly ended unemployment in that clime, when writing this article. It has remained so till date. The economy of Germany is something to write home about, till date. Nigerians are running down to that country, among others in search of massive wealth and savings. Hitler, as the head of that government assembled all unemployed persons, took their data according to their qualifications. They were assigned what to do and paid. Some were assigned to mechanized farming. Anyone who refused was taken as a security risk, and was punished accordingly. Successive governments followed that pattern. After that model, unemployment disappeared in Germany.
Ending unemployment and by extension, calling it bye - bye to disturbing insecurity, is a display of intensional political will by first drastically cutting down the cost of governance, and channeling the gains to areas of employment needs. That is the basic thing, but not the major antidote.
I believe that Nigeria cannot remain like that, getting messier by the day. A friend told me last year, that he saw what impressed him in Australia when he visited there. According to him, the government of that country ensured that every resident must be engaged. Any idle person is viewed as a security risk. As you are stepping into the shores of that country, basic questions are asked. Do you have a job? If not, what are you interested in? If you don't have any interest in anything, you must be forced to do one. If you refuse, you won't be allowed to be idle.
Let us be honest to ourselves, Nigeria has required resources to replicate what happens in Australia, starting from the sub national government (local councils and states) and then, national government (federal government). The political will is what we are lacking. Sincerity of purpose in government at every level, is the only muscle we need.
Just last month, I carefully proposed a home grown answer to tackling unemployment in the 17 Local Government Areas of the state, to Gov Otti. Should he boldly take the bull by the horns and implement my recommendations, he would cure those devastating economic and social ailments in Abia State forever. Others are likely going to copy him.
What did I forward to the serious minded governor? Yes he is a serious minded administrator.
First, as an introduction, i believe that many of our political appointees are not telling or advising their governors, even the president, what to do. They are largely afraid, earning what are due for them, driving about Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), bought with our resources (taxes, revenues generated and federal allocations). By nature, governors cannot know everything. They are humans. They can only have their brains, get the much they can, and superintend over affairs of the state - a task requiring tactfulness. If we want to tackle unemployment, we must ensure that states have laws specifying that every resident must have something doing, that earns him or her money, especially, at the productive age. Monitor it and ensure that the enabling environment is provided. This is doable; this is implementable; and very simple. It is just the determination to execute that must be applied.
In the case of Abia, i simply advised Govt Otti to invite all Abians who have earned their Ph.D., cutting across all the fields of human endeavour; register all of them in attendance; including having a data bank of their details, such as names, addresses, local government area of origin, age, area of residence and others that are necessary for planning, budgeting and implementation. The next phase is dialogue with them on their areas of specialty, translate it by putting the outcomes to reality by engaging all of them according to what they can offer, taking into cognizance of their aggregated population and demography. Don't forget that farming is involved, even the key. If anyone assigned to mechanized farming refuses, something drastic should be done to that individual, according to the law, not minding whose ox is gored.
After dealing with the Ph.Ds, do the same with the Master's degree earners, then first degree down to the Higher National Diploma (HND), National Certificate of Education (NCE), National Diploma (ND), and others, if any. It is not easy, but if the will is there, it is as simple as ABC.
It is done. Unemployment will automatically disappear in our land.
The next phase of my writing series continues.
*Ogugbuaja, an advocate of good governance and leadership, and a supporter of good governance in Abia State, holds a B.Sc. (Mass Comm), an M.Sc. (Mass Comm), an M.Sc. (International Affairs & Diplomacy), a Ph.D. (Mass Comm). a PGDE, a Certified Teacher (TRCN), a Dip. (Desktop & Graphics), a Cert.(Biz Mgt. & Enterpr), a Cert.(Population & Demography), & a Cert.(Printing).
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