The more jobs that are created, the more youths will be engaged. The more youths are disengaged, the more problems Nigeria will have. The alarming rate of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria is worrisome. Our teeming youths engage in crime as they have no work to do, which I think is the reason for the unprecedented insecurity in the nation for nearly two decades.
When there is poverty and unemployment in a nation, crime will be pervasive, and this is Nigeria’s current situation – incessant kidnappings, banditry, Boko Haram insurgency, cyber crime etc.
By now nobody can tell or count the exact figure of lives lost, homelessness, and property destroyed in Nigeria as a result of insecurity. These, to me, are all poverty and unemployment related issues.
Thousands of Nigerian graduates are in the street seeking employment as the nation’s industries, government’s establishments and private companies can’t accommodate or provide jobs for them. This is very unfortunate as statistics shows that for any nation to guarantee security, the youths must be engaged.
But, today in Nigeria neither the educated youths nor the uneducated are employed indicating that Nigeria cannot have security if hunger, starvation and unemployment are not tackled. Poverty and unemployment can lead to crime.
In the absence of employment, the youths become destructive agents in society. Youths comprise are about 70% of Nigeria’s population but only less than 10 percent are employed, thus, Nigeria must grapple with insecurity.
Government, traditional and religious leaders, and other stakeholders should provide a forum that will be connecting them with the less privileged and jobless youth to discuss on the matters affecting them. This will bring an end to security challenges in Nigeria.
Asma’u Aminu Wali,
Department of Mass Communication,
University of Maiduguri
