MOSES JOHN writes on efforts by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state to find a lasting solution to the challenges of youth unemployment in the state.
Tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria has become an uphill task for successive administrations in the country, though the challenge is globally inclined.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in its World Employment and Social Outlook Trend 2017 (WESO) said it expects global youth unemployment to rise to from 5.7 to 5.8 per cent in 2017 representing an increase of 3.4 million in the number of jobless people.
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) estimated that the country’s unemployment rate was at an alarming 13.9 per cent in the 3rd quarter of 2016.
The report stated that in the 3rd quarter, the Labour Force population, that is those within the working age population willing, able and actively looking for work, increased to 80.67 million from 79.9 million in second quarter.
Such indices appear scary making it a major challenge for both federal and state government to tackle insecurity by ensuring youth empowerment. Indeed, the menace of unemployment has been blamed for youth restiveness and insecurity in the various parts of the country. In the north, public commentators have repeatedly blamed the inability of northern governors to tame youth unemployment as the reason behind the rise in the Boko Haram insurgency.
Similarly, the South-east region has also had its fair share of the negative sides of youth unemployment. A few years ago, Aba, widely perceived as the commercial nerve centre of the region, became a den of kidnappers. Analysts as well as security experts blamed the trend on the high rate of youth unemployment.
It goes without saying that various models introduced by successive administrations in the different tiers of government in the country to address the challenges of unemployment had failed to achieved required results.
The story, however, appears to be changing in Abia state as the Governor Okezie Ikpeazu is putting result-oriented measures in place, that would not only turn Aba into a Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) capital of Nigeria, but would ensure the young and vibrant Abians are gainfully employed and empowered to become self-reliant.
Currently, the Made-in Aba campaign being championed by the governor is getting both national and international attention, this is to the extent that Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, who recently visited Aba was in awe of the level transformation that has taken place in the city.
Commending the state governor’s “smart business approach to governance” Osinbajo said, “Nigeria has no business with China if all hands are on deck to develop Aba as a major industrial base.”
The governor in a recent lecture titled: “Unemployment: Who Will Tame This Monster” noted that: “Unemployment has become a socio-economic problem and since little or nothing had been done to put it on check, it has had adverse effects on our country and has led to criminal activities and other evil vices.”
Ikpeazu, who identified wrong government policies, corruption, lack of skill, ghost workers holding real jobs, difficulty in accessing capital for businesses, wrong education policies, poor power supply and neglect of farming as major factors responsible for unemployment; also, listed high crime-rate, civil unrest, high suicide rate, divorce, frustration, easy availability of political thugs among other factors as dangers of failure to tackle unemployment.
He brought to the fore what he called “Abia example” and further revealed various measures, in form of policies and business ventures, his government is putting in place to ensure that the monstrous face of unemployment was defeated in Abia state.
“What we have been able to do in Abia state to stem this tide and create jobs for our people since we came on board includes what we called: “One-Stop Shop/PPP.
“We have built a One-Stop-Investment Centre which is geared towards easing the process of starting a business in Abia State for investors. We have a very short period of providing Certificates of Occupancy and other business requirements so that the businesses can start and employ our people,”the governor said.
Speaking further, he said: “Abia state is currently playing host to the Central Bank of Nigeria Entrepreneurship Development Centre which provides training and empowerment for youths in the South-East. As the host state, naturally, our youths have had the lion share of this programme and quite a number of them have become meaningfully engaged through the programme.
“We are running a programme in Abia State which has seen to the emphasising of Technical and Vocational Education in our Secondary Schools so that students leaving secondary schools in Abia State will be imbued with skills such that even when they choose not to attend University, they will have life-sustaining skills.”
Governor Ikpeazu further stated, “Everyone is aware of the massive work we are doing to promote patronage of Made In Aba Goods. This sustained advocacy has led to increased patronage, increased capacity on the part of the producers and ultimately, hiring of more hands to keep up with the high orders in the shoes, leather and garment and support services sector of Abia state.
“Cashew Plantations in Abia state which were lying fallow for a long time are now being take charge by an illustrious Abian, Chief Chris Odinaka Igwe. He is bringing in new species and replicating the plantation scheme in the 17 Local Government Areas which is targeted at creating about 100,000 jobs for our people.
“We are massively revolutionising agricultural practices in our state by introducing tractors and other mechanisation inputs.
We have partnered with the University of Agriculture and Roots Crop Research Institute in our state to cultivate high-yielding species of different crops which provide quicker maturity-periods and higher yields. We have engaged over 200,000 Abians in our agricultural revolution.”
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Enyinnaya Appolos, recently disclosed another notable measure by the state towards achieving sustainable development, which in turn is expected to facilitate job creation in the state.
According to him, Governor Ipeazu recently led a team of Private Sector Investment Partners, including the CEO of Geometrics Power, Prof Barth Nnaji; MD Crown Realities Plc., Mr. Darl Uzu, the lead promoters of the Enyimba Free Trade Zone project, and Chairman MTN Communications Limited, Dr Pascal Dozie, to a one-day investment meeting with African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Cairo, Egypt.
The meeting, he said was at the invitation of the Afreximbank President, Dr. Benedict Okey Oramah, for a discussion on partnership opportunities in the development of a free trade zone project known as Enyimba Free Trade Zone Project and completion of Geometric Power project at Aba.
This is even as the governor Ikpeazu just last week revealed at a town hall meeting in Umuahia that Afreximbank has agreed to invest $100 million in Geometric Power project located in Aba, just as the Chinese shareholders who invested $1 billion in Afreximbank have approved the investment because of their interest in Aba.
In the words of the Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Guy Ryder, “lack of decent jobs drives people worried and causes fear that aspirations for a better life will remain unfulfilled… a people-oriented government or leader is one that seeks to develop the city by providing jobs, which in turn provide food and peace to the human society.” This, Governor Ikpeazu is striving towards with the administration’s efforts at alleviating the burden of the people as it concerns umeployment.
In the words of the Director General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Guy Ryder, “lack of decent jobs drives people worried and causes fear that aspirations for a better life will remain unfulfilled… a people-oriented government or leader is one that seeks to develop the city by providing jobs, which in turn provide food and peace to the human society
