Eniola Olorundare
With the level of things in developing countries like Nigeria, learning a skill is the latest white collar job.
This would be the latest words of advisors to job seekers as of today.
Before the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Nigeria was already one of the countries with a huge population of unemployed graduates with over 16 million graduates and we have over 3 million companies registered under the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). This statistics is a tell-tale that competitiveness is on the high side.
Waiting for “godfatherism” or not, it’s advisable, considering the structure of things in Nigeria, for youths to have one or more skills. This is what some universities like the First Technical University, Ibadan, embed in their philosophy and curriculum.
Recent statistics show that more than 50% of youths who become frustrated and go learn skills later become excellent employers.
After the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, the rate of unemployment hiked from twenty-three per cent (23%) to thirty-five per cent (35%). BMany businesses were forced to shut down as a result of the virus; most organisations began retrenching staff due to low profit or sales.
With the current situation, it is paradoxical in all ramifications that the government keeps producing graduates from different universities. Yet, they can’t stop doing so! This is where skill acquisition and entrepreneurship has to come into play.
SEE ALSO: UNEMPLOYMENT: NYSC advises corps members on entrepreneurial skills
There are countless numbers of skills to learn: forex trading, Bitcoin trading and analysis, catering, baking, fashion designing, event planning etc.
It is important to note that being an entrepreneurship is all about being a calculative risk-taker, being confident, reliable, and most of all sustainable. We have arrived at the era where youths would no longer wait to get jobs, every individual has to look out for their unique talents and skills, build them to become a passion and a source of income for themselves. The fact, however, is that entrepreneurship is not for the lazy, scared or fragile minds. It is for the strong, patient, confident and persistent.
All hands should be on deck to help youths in this direction. Individuals, governments and non-governmental organisations – all have to be involved in capacity building, mentoring and funding of youths. Government must particularly look into more pragmatic methods of empowering the youth.
