Nigeria’s unemployment rate currently stands at 23.9% (2011). In 2006, unemployment rate was 5.6%. If this trend continues, the current unemployment figure should have at least tripled in 5years time.
Millions of graduates who are ‘qualified’ and willing to work have no job. Year after year, 117 Universities, hundreds of polytechnics, colleges of education etc release thousands of graduates to add to the millions pursuing a few hundred jobs.
However, foreigners troop into Nigeria daily to earn ‘arm robber’ salaries as expatriates, in a country where millions are unemployed. Its so bad that an OND holder from a remote institution in India (for instance) is usually a boss to a Nigerian with an M. Sc.
WHOSE FAULT IS IT?
Whose fault? Who else? The Government? They are supposed to provide jobs for each and every citizen. In some countries, people who are unemployed are paid an amount of money for their upkeep. In Nigeria, who cares if you have a job or not?
On a second thought, let’s assume that we win the war over bad governance and we elect people who have the interest of the nation at heart. Say the president of Nigeria announces the creation of 10 million jobs and all the unemployed youth need to do is to just to pass a Job Aptitude Test?
How many ‘qualified’ graduates will pass this aptitude test?
60%? 50%, 30%?
I asked different experienced resource personnels who conduct aptitude test for job seekers and their average answer was 25%!
In other words, out of every 100 job seekers only 25 will pass a job aptitude test and proceed for interview!
What happens to the remaining 75 empty positions? EXPATRIATES?
Is examination a true test of knowledge? NO. But it is true that examination is the major test of knowledge recognised and accepted worldwide!
Some graduates can’t make one complete sentence without a grammatical blunder, those who can speak well can’t write a simple official memo without spelling errors! Those who can write and speak well can’t be trusted with sensitive positions as their integrity is in serious doubt because of some crass behaviours!
In a recent job test, a ‘qualified’ Economist could not solve a Simple Interest Arithmetic question!
Most times when you tell someone seeking for a job to send his CV to your mail, after opening the CV, the next thing is to hit the delete button. Some people’s CV are an nothing but an ‘ apology’ and a CV is suppose to sell your qualities and abilities to your employer!
It’s true there’s no job, but some people are changing jobs like clothes!
WHAT’S THE SECRET!
Simple! They simply worked on themselves! Naturally, most humans don’t react to challenges unless it’s life threatening. See unemployment as life threatening!
If you want a white collar job, practise GMAT questions like your life depends on it! Study materials on how to comport yourself during an interview and the kind of questions to expect! If you need to get a Master’s degree to get the kind of job you want, GO FOR IT!
Its true jobs are very few, but make it a point of duty to get the little available!
If you want to be an entrepreneur, go and learn from other entrepreneurs in your chosen field, this will help you not avoid the mistakes they made.
Finally, I believe soon, very soon, our Nigeria will be great, with more than enough jobs for every truly QUALIFIED Nigerian. When that time comes, WILL YOU BE QUALIFIED?
Bright O. Nwachukwu
@brightoz
www.brightoz.wordpress.com
You have noted very interesting details! ps decent web site.
Very well presented. Every quote was awesome and thanks for sharing the content. Keep sharing and keep motivating others.