The Alarming Rise of Graduate Unemployment in Nigeria

[DYOR+BTC]

In Nigeria today unemployment is a common problem affecting the country,  not that there is no resource capable of providing employment opportunities but because this resource are not properly managed.
Another challenging reason is the presence of corrupt leadership system,  the leadership system in Nigeria today is the established just to be beneficial  to leaders and not for the creation of job opportunities that will help reduce unemployment in the country when they know every year thousands of graduates come out with hope of getting a job.

[gracreavix]

Nigeria problem has shifted to whether there's enough industry to absorb the growing number of graduates year in, year out. With the increasing numbers of graduates in the society and not enough companies to give them jobs, that's where the big problem lies.

Another problem might be the graduates are not fit for employment. That might be another factor.

Skills shouldn't only be digital we have:  agriculture, construction, electrical and so on.

[TrialBitcoin]

In Nigeria today unemployment is a common problem affecting the country,  not that there is no resource capable of providing employment opportunities but because this resource are not properly managed.
Another challenging reason is the presence of corrupt leadership system,  the leadership system in Nigeria today is the established just to be beneficial  to leaders and not for the creation of job opportunities that will help reduce unemployment in the country when they know every year thousands of graduates come out with hope of getting a job.

I agree with you. Nigeria has enough human and natural resources to create millions of jobs, but poor management, corruption, and weak policies continue to prevent these resources from being properly utilized. Every year, thousands of graduates enter the labour market, yet the number of available jobs remains far below the demand.

The government needs to focus more on creating an environment where businesses can grow, industries can thrive, and young people can develop useful skills. Job creation should be treated as a priority rather than something discussed only during political campaigns. Until leadership becomes more focused on building sustainable opportunities for citizens, unemployment will remain a serious challenge in Nigeria.

[Su-asa]

There are many graduates out there who are unemployed, and the situation is becoming alarming thesedays. A few days back, I heard a guy talking about unemployment in Nigeria, and he was like 'pesin go go school finish work self no go dey for ram', and that's the truth.
The government should look into this because I believe this same issue of unemployment is literally discouraging some people not to continue their education. Most people literally believe that it's even better if they use the money they keep for sponsoring their education and fly out of Nigeria will be much better.

[Dicee]

Tribalism is also one of the cause that makes Graduates not to have jobs. Even if there are job opportunities, most employers might employ only people from the same tribe,  or maybe his or her relatives sometimes not minding thier qualifications, and this has reduced the benefits of education, Nowadays you see a graduate with first class unemployed.  Most time its not all about the government not providing job opportunities,  its the employers who creates many of available jobs  opportunities.

[Justbillywitt]

• Should private sector involvement be strengthened to create more firms and job opportunities, while also supporting entrepreneurship?


yes the private sector need to be strengthened, to enable them create more job opportunities. The government alone can’t afford to provide jobs for all the citizens, so the private sector need to help out big time.

In a balanced economy both the private and public sectors are directly involved in job creation. The government needs to provide an enabling environment for the private sector to be able to do business without much hassles. If the private sectors are able to do businesses without much burdens from government, they can expand their operations thereby employing more workers and reducing unemployment.

• Can tribalism and favoritism in employment be reduced to ensure equal opportunities for all?


I don’t think this can be achieved in this country due to the peculiarities of our country. Even in government appointments of key officials, you can easily detect the tribalism and favoritism in those positions, they are never by merits. This thing has eaten deep in our system that it can’t be stopped.

[Qhunman]

In Nigeria today unemployment is a common problem affecting the country,  not that there is no resource capable of providing employment opportunities but because this resource are not properly managed.
Another challenging reason is the presence of corrupt leadership system,  the leadership system in Nigeria today is the established just to be beneficial  to leaders and not for the creation of job opportunities that will help reduce unemployment in the country when they know every year thousands of graduates come out with hope of getting a job.

Every nation faces unemployment issues and not only Nigeria but ours is much more higher. In every year, Nigeria produces thousands of graduates with a little chances to secure a well paid job. Some of our graduates aren't doing what they read in school at their places of work. We have a lot of them who are taxi, motorcycles drivers just to survive. so it's very painful when we see some of these people which after spending so much in school couldn't secure a decent paid job when they graduate. The government has failed us in this regard of employment. There are not creating enough jobs so that people who have graduated from the university, polytechnic and colleges can work and earn decent salaries. This is why it is important that you shouldn't sit down and wait for white collars because it can be frustrating sometimes.

[Salahmu]

There are many graduates out there who are unemployed, and the situation is becoming alarming thesedays. A few days back, I heard a guy talking about unemployment in Nigeria, and he was like 'pesin go go school finish work self no go dey for ram', and that's the truth.
The government should look into this because I believe this same issue of unemployment is literally discouraging some people not to continue their education. Most people literally believe that it's even better if they use the money they keep for sponsoring their education and fly out of Nigeria will be much better.

I no is very tiring and discouraging when a person will graduate with score that government and company was supposed to come look for you but you are not acknowledged in the society but however people just need to no that in anything that's happening in a country shouldn't be a reason of not pursuing what you want to become because some day Nigeria hardship because of corruption will become a story we would be telling, just like how we use to be seated by our parents to tell us the things that usually happen in the past, so actually if I hadn't gotten my degree before I wouldn't have let this lack of employment change my mind because government wouldn't define what I would be in the future.

[Promocodeudo]

This one no be new thing again na, I think say many of go don move on by now because of how e don turn out to be like this, make everybody try their best to survive because the men dem wey dey power now no send any pesin papa, their own na to loot and loot for their children and their children children and so on.
I no think say we suppose to the even talk about graduate unemployment again for naija because the number don dey outrageous, we suppose don loss count, me I know some people wey don graduate for more than 29years and also gone for their NYSC but no Job from anywhere, many has moved on to other things, some are doing great while some are still waiting for a dream that'll never come through if they don't work for it.

[Judith87403]

In the U.S, it's statistical that the private firms are the ones that employ the highest, at the end of the year, there are some token or grands given by the government to private firms to encourage them for what they are doing.  The government of Nigeria alone cannot handle the employment problem happening in Nigeria, the government really needs to partner and lobby private firms to help in this situation. But believe the kind leadership we have Are not really interested in human capital development, they are more concerned with politics and that is where we draw the lines, as issues concerning such level of development shouldn't be associated with political gymnastics.

You just said my mind, we depend too much on the government that is why we are facing this unemployment reality. We have a lot of billionaires in this country who can establish factories and industries and employ labor force but most of them channel their businesses to things that won't require enough labor force. They only answer billionaires but no impact on human capacity development. We should not lean on the government alone, there is a way that private organisations will even make employment and it will begin to affect the government because there will be scarcity of workers which can also make them to increase workers salaries. The billionaires will have in this country is even enough to reduce employment rate if they can channel their businesses on things that can aide human capital building. Let's move away from the government and see how things will change for good and the government will be the ones to be begging people to work for them.

[Spaceman1000$]

In the U.S, it's statistical that the private firms are the ones that employ the highest, at the end of the year, there are some token or grands given by the government to private firms to encourage them for what they are doing.  The government of Nigeria alone cannot handle the employment problem happening in Nigeria, the government really needs to partner and lobby private firms to help in this situation. But believe the kind leadership we have Are not really interested in human capital development, they are more concerned with politics and that is where we draw the lines, as issues concerning such level of development shouldn't be associated with political gymnastics.

You just said my mind, we depend too much on the government that is why we are facing this unemployment reality. We have a lot of billionaires in this country who can establish factories and industries and employ labor force but most of them channel their businesses to things that won't require enough labor force. They only answer billionaires but no impact on human capacity development. We should not lean on the government alone, there is a way that private organisations will even make employment and it will begin to affect the government because there will be scarcity of workers which can also make them to increase workers salaries. The billionaires will have in this country is even enough to reduce employment rate if they can channel their businesses on things that can aide human capital building. Let's move away from the government and see how things will change for good and the government will be the ones to be begging people to work for them.

Of course I agree with you to a large extent, the number of billionaires we have should be able to absorb the workforce significantly, Dangote refinery alone has employed over 3,000 workers, we are not talking about the cement factory and the sugar factory just the refinery alone. So if we have this much of billionaires this country, it should also reflect in our workforce. But there is a tricky thing about the Nigerian labour market, the employers of labor are quick to underpay the employees, so you will see over 100 staff in a particular company,  if you aggregate their entire salary in a month, is not even enough for them to actually sustain themselves as workers till the end of the the following month, so you see them working for the company without adequate compensation in terms of wages, the company on one hand ends up declaring profit in billions, while underpaying their workers.

[Sexylizzy2813]

OP from wetin you tok so u correct and na wetin many piple dey face now and e dey make me wonder wetin con be the need to dey go school finish go do masters finish go do this and that finish but at the end no job wey fit show say dis particular person go school read dis particular something for school, wetin be the point to go school? D earlier people realize say to go school na just to read write and speak and not to do all those things and get better job add am d earlier for dem oh, Nigeria no be am at all, as e dey so piple go complain tire.
Right from d 90's I don dey hear free education free education but yet my father dey pay school fees and everything nai I ask am, but dem say free education which means say everything na free but why we dey pay? My brother answer I get at that age sink so why them still dey use that line "free education" and piple dey comfortable with am as if na real? Eh? Make we forget say school go give us better job, the people wey e go favor out of 100% na only 5% or 10%, make the rest face life as e be. The country no fit compete with any country for Africa concerning this matter.

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[yixichloro2xx]

There cannot be employment in any country who doesn't industrialize, we have only few industries in this country. This where the government has failed in the most. What the current, and past administration always focuses on are Roads, nothing else. If they invest large chunk of their budget into building multiple varieties of industries across every angle of this nation, the rate of unemployment will reduce. Look at how the United States of America became world power, they invest in industries and technologies in Agriculture, oil, steel etc. which provides jobs and money for their citizens to reinvest back into the country. This why USA was able to grow beyond expectations. I don't know what these leaders are always thinking, every year thousands of students graduates without getting no job, yet the younger generations would be advised to go to school. The best thing to do is to try and learn good skills that can create opportunities, because we can't depend on governments anymore.

[Sammye3]

There are many graduates out there who are unemployed, and the situation is becoming alarming thesedays. A few days back, I heard a guy talking about unemployment in Nigeria, and he was like 'pesin go go school finish work self no go dey for ram', and that's the truth.
The government should look into this because I believe this same issue of unemployment is literally discouraging some people not to continue their education. Most people literally believe that it's even better if they use the money they keep for sponsoring their education and fly out of Nigeria will be much better.

It is only natural that people would consider flying outside the country to secure their future because of the condition of the country based on employment. There is this popular saying "parents listen to your children, we are the leaders of tomorrow", which would run down tears from my eyes anytime I remember my childhood.

Our fathers are still the leaders since childhood, leaving no room for the younger generation to thrive. Look at the government structure, you would hardly see a man under 40 occupying a pivotal position, our fathers over 60 have refused to step down because of their selfish interest and have withheld the position like it's an inheritance. How then can the youths thrive in such economic structure?

[Halifat]

Nigeria problem has shifted to whether there's enough industry to absorb the growing number of graduates year in, year out. With the increasing numbers of graduates in the society and not enough companies to give them jobs, that's where the big problem lies.

Another problem might be the graduates are not fit for employment. That might be another factor.

Skills shouldn't only be digital we have:  agriculture, construction, electrical and so on.

I can confidently say that not all graduates are eager to work for the government, most of them are already engaged with some companies before they even finish school, while some of them are into some vocational skills which they used in supporting themselves to school. It has become cleared that Nigerian government don't have any capacity to take care of the graduate that are coming out every year, it is not that they don't have the means to absorb them but due to their personal interest that is why they neglected that without any rumours. Our leaders are doing things deliberately just to stop us from growing up because they believe that if we are at that level, we will not be answering to them again.

[Mayor of ogba]

Government failure to create enough job to employ graduates in the area of their specialty has given rise to underemployment in Nigeria but I don't think government alone is the reason for the high rate of unemployment in the country, what is also contributing to unemployment is some of the courses people are studying in the university, there are people who studied courses that have low demand in the labor market, and the chances of them not getting a job until they die are very high. For Nigerians to help increase employment rate in the country, they should study more of the courses that are in demand and they should also study courses that they can be employ in private sector in order for them not to depend on government alone for employment.

[Pressurizedem]

What can we do, with the way things are and the way people are giving birth to children everyday, it will be good but to only rely on the government to provide job opportunities, individuals who are financially bouyant should come out with plans to provide companies that can set up space for people who have gone to school to get employment . We must not only depend on the government to provide job,
There are several people who can establish firms but they have decided not to because it can endanger their life's since Nigeria is not save.
They can open firms and companies, and before you know it,  criminals and armed robbers will start looking for them . Those are some of the challenges we are facing in Nigeria, and until security issues are solved, investors will see no reason to open firms in this country.

[Silikiem]

What can we do, with the way things are and the way people are giving birth to children everyday, it will be good but to only rely on the government to provide job opportunities, individuals who are financially bouyant should come out with plans to provide companies that can set up space for people who have gone to school to get employment . We must not only depend on the government to provide job,
There are several people who can establish firms but they have decided not to because it can endanger their life's since Nigeria is not save.
They can open firms and companies, and before you know it,  criminals and armed robbers will start looking for them . Those are some of the challenges we are facing in Nigeria, and until security issues are solved, investors will see no reason to open firms in this country.

We know that the government cannot certainly provide job or employment for everyone but at least they should try to make the cost of living more affordable at least to enable those without a meaningful job to be able to afford some of life’s basic needs like shelter, food, clothing and some social services like water etc. if the masses who are without a job can be able to afford most of this things the easily the pressure won’t be much on the government to provide job for the unemployed graduates.

[Nightwatchmare]

‎The idea I had when I was growing up, was that graduating out of University level will automatically give me an opportunity to get a suitable job on the course I study which will help me build a comfortable life,  but it happens that in Nigeria for you to make use of  your certification you must have connections or an opportunity meets you at any point in time. So, when going to acquire a degree, just have it in mind that your certificate will not get you a job immediately.

[Bigjoe33]

This is not new at all I'm Nigeria, or do we say it's not news, because the level of poverty as a result of unemployment or underemployment is too much and there is no governmental means out of it unless we find a way ourselves. The government are comfortable and the masses are struggling. So we have to find a way for ourselves and stop depending on them because they have failed completely.

One of the leading fight individuals against unemployment and underemployment here in Nigeria is self-employment, yea. People are going into personal skills and craft to survive, and surely, it's working well.

As for me, I have long quit the blame game on the government and switched to technology and skills for self development and dependency.