Nigerian Governor Tackles Youth Joblessness, Targets 20,000 Jobs

The Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi today inaugurated a six-man committee headed by his deputy, Moses Adeyemo Alake on the provision of 20,000 jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the State.

The provision of 20000 jobs in the state is to be achieved within the next two months.

While inaugurating the committee, Governor Ajimobi stated that the provision of jobs for 20,000 unemployed youths in the State was one of the cardinal programmes of his administration, targeted to be achieved in his first 100 days in office.

He said the creation of job was to address the problem of mass unemployment among youths, both at individual and societal level.

The governor said, “A society with 32 percent youth unemployment like our own is sitting on a time bomb. Our youths between the ages of 15 and 35 account for close to 60 percent of Nigeria’s population. This is 1/3 of the nation’s workforce. They constitute 32 percent of unemployed people in the country. It is more disheartening that majority of this youth have no basic skills or requisite education for employment,”

Explaining the framework of the youth employment programme, Governor Ajimobi said the scheme, christened “Youth Empowerment Scheme of Oyo State,” (YES-O) will involve intervention in employment and skill acquisition, adding that it will ensure that the beneficiaries are given both cognitive and entrepreneurial trainings.

“The rationale for this initiative is to address a problem that affects us at individual and societal level; every parent with unemployed youths in the household is never a happy parent,” he said.

The governor said that those who are graduates among them will have access to government micro-credit scheme to become small-scale entrepreneurs.

“We shall not only provide fish for participants in the scheme, we shall teach them how to fish. The participants shall be engaged in public works like environmental sanitation and beautification, sensitization and enforcement of traffic regulations, provision of support in emergency situations and farming in the state’s farm settlements,” he said.

Continuing, the governor said the youths so employed will be exposed to weekly hours of training in leadership and entrepreneurship, while those of them with requisite capacity will graduate to be given opportunities in the government’s micro-credit scheme for small scale entrepreneurs.

“We shall encourage contractors engaged by the state government to employ participants in the execution of contracts in the state. The government will also establish a Job Opportunity Information Centre in all local government areas where unemployed youths will access real-time information about job opportunities” he said.

Speaking on the choice of membership of the committee, Governor Ajimobi said that the choice of the Deputy Governor, as Chairman of the Committee, underscores the importance government attached to creation of job for youths.

Responding on behalf of the committee, the Chairman, who is also the Deputy Governor, Hon Moses Adeyemo, pledged the commitment of the committee to the actualization of the goals for which it was set up.

Other members of the committee include the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Bimbo Adekanmbi, Dr. Nurudeen Olarinde, Mr. Taiwo Fawole, Mr. Soji Eniade and Mr. Fatai Omokemi. Meanwhile, the Oyo State governor,

In another development, Senator Ajimobi has charged the National Board of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to incorporate skill acquisition and entrepreneurial skills into its scheme to reduce unemployment rate in the country.

He gave the charge while receiving the National Board Members of NYSC in his office.

Governor Ajimobi said the step will enable corps members to be self-employed after their disengagement from the Youth Service.

The governor assured the Board of his administration’s support towards the provision of infrastructure and other essential facilities that will make life more meaningful for both corps members and their officials.

Earlier, the Chairman of the board, Dr. Mahmood Bafa commended the State Government for the provision of hostel accommodation at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Iseyin while also requesting for the construction of more hostels to accommodate more corps members.

By Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan