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Bashar Shehu, 29, is among thousands of Nigerian graduates who roam the streets in search of job opportunities after graduation.
As a graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Birnin Kebbi in 2020, he has been struggling to find a job for himself ever since, as he scours his city every day in search of job opportunities.
To survive the economic hardship in his country, Bashar takes up part-time work such as tutoring and some odd jobs to earn a living, but still hopes to find a permanent job one day.
However, he regrets his slowness in not learning entrepreneurial skills while in college. He said that he would choose to work independently rather than looking for a job.
“Unemployment has affected my daily life, making it difficult for me to meet my financial needs. This has increased my daily distress and anxiety. It has also affected my mental health by causing feelings of frustration and low self-esteem.”
“I face several challenges in finding a job. Lack of experience, failure to learn practical skills, limited job opportunities in my field, and stiff competition have compounded the problem.”
Bashar Shehu is not alone. Data from the World Bank shows that unemployment among Nigerians with advanced education reached 13.69 percent in 2016, and 15.3 percent in 2019.
Something similar was also conveyed previously by National Bureau of Statistics in 2016 showed that 52 million fresh graduates in the economically active population in Nigeria were unemployed, thus unemployed.
In addition, statistics made by Temitope J. Owolabi and Oluyemi Adeosun from the University of Lagos show that the active age is 16 to 54 years which represents 115.5 million Nigerians are unemployed. This is due to the decline of the manufacturing sector — which forces half of the graduates Nigeria produces each year to continue to struggle for jobs.
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities
Adewale Abdulhafees Ololade, a graduate of the Foundation of Education from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, identified Godfathering as a major epidemic that has hit every sector in Nigeria _ while getting job opportunities has become a connection problem in the country. “Those who have Godfathers get jobs even before graduating,” he said.
Furthermore, he identified the importance of being involved in extracurricular activities as an ideal way to prepare for life after graduation. He emphasized the need for students to prepare for their future while still in school as one solution to address the threat of unemployment.
“White collar jobs are no longer available. Graduates should not rely on that, but you can take part in extracurricular activities during college that will help you after graduation.”
“The job market doesn’t just look for what you have, they also look for what you can give”
Buhari Muhammad Bawa, 26, another graduate of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, likened the stereotype to the poor performance of many students and how they aim to just get certificates instead of achieving academic excellence.
“During our orientation program at Level 100, I remember some of our seniors telling us that ‘Even if you get an E, just read until you pass.’ That’s not how it works at all, if you take education seriously, it will take you to places you never imagined.”
“With good and satisfactory results, you can get a scholarship abroad if Nigeria is not suitable for you,” he said, emphasizing his previous statement.
“There are many scholarships out there waiting for you. I know many of my friends during Level 300 who made it before graduating, and with their good grades, they flew abroad as soon as we graduated,” Buhari assured this reporter.
Therefore, a study conducted by Babatope In 2020, it was revealed that 134 polytechnics are currently recognized in Nigeria (57 privately owned, 48 state-owned and 29 federally managed) as of October 2019. In the same vein, Nigeria currently has 174 universities of which 79 are privately owned, 52 are state-owned while the remaining 43 are under the control of the federal government.
In short, there are 308 tertiary institutions in Nigeria, enrolling about two million students and graduating about 600,000 students annually. In the next few years, the total number of degree-granting tertiary institutions will double, and up to one million graduates could be recruited and entered the job seekers and unemployed market annually. This was predicted in a paper presented by Ajibefun in 2015.
Experts Suggest a Way Forward
In an interview with this reporter, Mallam Gado, an entrepreneurship officer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, said unemployment is a major challenge facing most developing countries like Nigeria.
While expressing concern about how unemployed graduates outnumber job vacancies in the country, he stressed the importance of entrepreneurship and skills acquisition as a value-add to formal education.
“The young generation should be taught skills in various fields and how to commercialize those skills. This will help them become self-reliant. They will be employers, not employees after graduation.”
Speaking on the need to introduce entrepreneurship courses into the student curriculum, Professor Sani Dantani Manga, a Professor of Educational Management at UDUS, and an expert in educational administration blamed the Nigerian education system.
He further stated that the National Universities Commission (NUC) plans to equip students with employable skills, which will prepare them before they graduate, instead of relying on government jobs and written qualifications.
“Gone are the days when education gave people jobs before they even graduated. That doesn’t happen anymore in this country. You need skills to survive, not a degree on paper.
“A vulcanizer can earn ₦5,000 daily, and earn ₦150,000 in a month, which means his income is more than that of a salaried worker.”
However, Professor Sani Dantani Manga blames policymakers, educators and potential employers for their indifference — when, he says, they should be providing more support and resources to graduates.
“With internship opportunities, training programs, and job placement services from these community groups, the gap between education and unemployment can be bridged.”
By: Shamsudeen Abubakar
FEATURE Post: As graduates increase every year and jobs decrease, here is one way to solve the problem appeared first on Latest Nigeria News | Headlines from Ripples Nigeria.
