Recession and Nigerian youths: What options?

Steve Orji

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet, I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”

                                       – Og Mandino

One of the unsavoury indices of most African economies is the level of youth employment.

Nigeria for instance skirts around 30-50 per cent figure of unemployed youths.

It’s no surprise the level of restiveness, and social upheavals, being experienced in African countries, given these staggering figures of youth unemployment.

At the moment, Nigeria’s economy is in recession, and this portends an ugly horizon for the peace and stability of the nation.

Yet, there are huge untapped economic prospects trapped in Nigeria’s people’s resources. Given the market dynamics of numbers, Nigeria has nearly 200 million people, making it the most populated black nation on earth.

Nigeria has long fixated on the narrow possibilities of government creating jobs for at least 80 per cent of its teeming youths.

This is in itself a narrow expectation, knowing that youths between the ages of 19 and 30, make up nearly 35 per cent of the nation’s population, a Herculean task to have all of them fit into the job stable of the government.

Private businesses in developed nations account for up to 50 per cent or more of the job statistic. In 2014, alone there were nearly 200,000 business ideas, sparked by several business upstarts in California alone.

There is apparent lack of enabling environment in Nigeria coupled with harsh financial climate, making start-up capitals difficult to access. Government claims of funding start-ups are likely to be political rhetoric.

Why are young people in the developed climes not queuing up for jobs as it’s the norm in developing countries like Africa?

There is certainly a broad scheme within the educational system of the developed world that encourages the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Business education has been made an integral part of the learning architecture in these climes, and pupils, especially the young minds, are exposed to the desirability and prospects of becoming an entrepreneur.

What more can we do?

Entrepreneurship should be taught as a creative tool, and made to become a natural option in the economic and vocational life of the people.

Africa’s curriculum must begin to incorporate business education into its modes of learning, and should encourage its young talented innovators by offering them opportunities to harness their creative potential. Major scholarships should go into jump-starting star innovators to further grow their talents.

Nigeria at the moment presents an array of opportunities for grassroots entrepreneurship to flourish. Looking inwards has the prime advantage of pricking ones inner curiosity and creative audacity.

Young people like Steve Jobs who was a college dropout, would find this kind of unpalatable economic situation as a stimulus for creative expressions. The following questions may likely to confront the young Nigerian marooned by the stark deprivation in his clime:

How do I raise the initial start-up capital? Does Nigeria have market for my invention? Business proposal? How should I pitch my proposal or ideas to be heard to gain the required intervening audience?

Before these questions come to the fore, as pragmatic as they are, how many Nigerian youths have really sat down to think? The social system the Nigerian youths found themselves in is one that negates the attitude of critical thinking.

Politicians and the power elite of the 80s and 90s up until 21 century, in their search for power, infiltrated the innocence of youths and lured them into the seductive syndrome of quick wealth and free money.

The frustrations some of our youths suffer from today stem from the utopia and illusions of “free lunch”, which no longer and does not exist anywhere. There is nowhere in the world where anything is free.

Corruption and the bungled social system in Nigeria entrenched a false class structure whereby street urchins and political surrogates could break into the corridors of power and become rich overnight. The world’s richest innovator, Steve Jobs, captured the paradigm of resourcefulness and hard work in his epic quote; “Beneath the covers of an overnight success story you see a lot of years, a lot of hard work.”

The outcome and backlash of the unwholesome “money syndrome” in Nigeria is the emergence of an army of youths who saw quick wealth and the trappings of cheap money as symbols of success. This social bug ate away the inventive aptitude and capacities of many youths and deprived Nigeria the depth, mental discipline, cultural virtues and the creative latitude of its most active population band.

The asymmetric wealth distribution between politicians, their acolytes, and the masses created the social tension and unrest, which now and every often pushes the youths to the tip of acquisitive ambitions.

Nigerian youths in their desperation have funnelled their innate inventiveness into violent crimes, an energy that could be drop-forged into kinetic economic asset.

With the gradual disappearance of free money, patronage, largesse, and a recession-hit economy, there’s a fair degree of economic expectation that the gap between the very rich and the very poor closes up a bit- and that is the band where youth entrepreneurship could be optimised.

Hunger and squalid poverty are a potent enemy to creativity. Yet, as uninspiring as the Nigerian climate is at the moment, as a start, any youth desiring of a great future ahead of him or her, should have a think, what can I do with what I have, and should I have an opportunity to pitch for my dreams what would they be?

“When preparation meets with opportunity that is success”-Ophray Winfrey

Orji, a public affairs analyst

Recession and Nigerian youths: What options?

Steve Orji
“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet, I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.”
                                       – Og Mandino

One of the unsavoury indices of most African economies is the level of youth employment.
Nigeria for instance skirts around 30-50 per cent figure of unemployed youths.

WORLD TEACHERS’DAY: Where is the Nigerian teacher globally?

By Dayo Adesulu

As Nigerian teachers join their counterparts all over the world to celebrate the World Teachers’ Day, stakeholders in the teaching profession have lamented the precarious state of Nigerian teachers in the comity of teachers globally. The 2016 World Teachers’ Day with the theme -‘Valuing Teachers, Improving their Status’ was described by teachers as most apt for the Nigerian where our teachers deserved to be celebrated for being the pivot of socio-economic development.

How should FG handle Turkey’s arrest of 50 Nigerian students?

Tweets

I think the whole thing is political, otherwise, both Nigeria and Turkey have, at least, business relationship. I believe Turkey has (tertiary) institutions in Nigeria; if that is the case, it is something that could be resolved between the two governments without necessarily putting innocent ones into unnecessary tension and problem. By my view, whatever must have necessitated it, the two governments should sit at a round table and iron the issues out, so that the innocent students could be released to go back to their schools. If they have found anything unusual in the behaviour of those that are in detention, they should let our government know and if they don’t want them in their country, Turkey, then they should repatriate them. If it is mere politics, I think they need to be released and allowed to go about their academic pursuits. Two wrongs don’t make a right. That is the more reason why the two ambassadors need to sit down together and iron issues out. By closing down the Turkish schools in Nigeria, government would only be creating more enemies. But if they find out that the blame belongs to Turkey, then their schools here also could be closed down. If they are saying they don’t want any relationship with Nigeria, then the embassy here should be closed down. The two countries should temper justice with mercy. The students should not be punished unnecessarily.
•Joseph Coleman (Father of Turkey-based Nigerian students)

Wishing Nigeria more bumpy roads at 56

¤ Tayo Ogunbiyi writes

With the nagging reality of economic recession, it is quite unlikely that the drums would be rolled out to celebrate Nigeria’s 56th anniversary on Saturday. Without a doubt, these are hard times for our dear nation. The signs are, indeed, not palatable. There is hunger in the land. Of course, once hunger establishes its foothold in any place, anger is bound to surface. Thus, there is hunger-induced anger in the land. At the home front, husbands and wives are increasingly getting mad at each other. Palpable tension is everywhere.

WORLD DEMOCRACY DAY: A DEMOCRACY BEYOND ELECTIONS

The most acceptable definition of Democracy was given by Abraham Lincoln - "... government of the people, by the people and for the people." Imo State governor went further by adding "with the people" to the existing three. Democracy is all about the people. It is even believed that the worst form of democracy is better that autocracy.

The Nigerian Development Fiasco – The Need to Avoid Future Epidemy

By: Olusegun Phillips-Alonge

The promise of world class civil infrastructure dominates the local and national airwaves during every election cycle simply because the availability of functional infrastructure suggests modernization. These empty promises are only a means to an end; they are designed to woo the people, score votes, and win elections. However, the zeal to make good the infrastructure promises made some governors overcommit their states to infrastructure loans to the point of insolvency.

Secretary John Kerry's Visit - Insensitivity, Southern Cold Shoulders, or Leadership Absentia?

• Olusegun Phillips Alonge writes.

The controversial visit of the United States Secretary of State in the person of Mr. John Kerry has come and gone peacefully as one can hope for. It is always good to have a trusted and willing powerful ally that is ready to help come rain or shine. However, whether Kerry’s visit to Nigeria is beneficial or not depends on whom you ask.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and their southern parishans will tell you it is a slap on the face and huge show of support for Islamization of Nigeria. The average Southerner will not hesitate to add the U.S. support for Northern superiority and domination of the country into the mix. The majority of Northerners and their governors will be quick to defend Kerry’s visit as a friendly gesture for the unity, progress, and peace of Nigeria.

On the matter of the dog named ‘Buhari’

Abimbola Adelakun writes.

When the Ogun State Police arrested Joe Chinakwe after his neighbour reported him for naming his dog “Alhaji Buhari”, and for walking the same dog in their “Hausa dominated neighbourhood,” they did not try to mask why they took that line of action. According to media reports, they charged him to court because his “provocative” act could cause a breach of peace, and that was because “an average Northerner would feel bad over such a thing.” Underlining their motive is the reality of our socio-political environment. When law enforcement admits to arresting a man to preserve the feelings of his accusers who can launch gratuitous violence, they mean the evil we are dealing with surpasses their level of efficiency.

History has taught us that whenever the “average northerner” says he “feels bad over a thing”, the rest of us are supposed to hurriedly rearrange our manners. We are told to take heed of invisible limits that “infidels” are not permitted to cross. Alarmingly, a number of us have restricted ourselves to this emasculating avoidance of wrath. We have mapped out “no-go areas” of public discussion that we trespass at grievous risks to ourselves. We have seen the repercussions of trespassing these bounds and they are not pleasant. FromGideon Akaluka’s killings to the Reinhard Bonnke crusade violence, the Miss World riots, the Danish cartoons saga, and many other instances of unwarranted violence that have occurred, we have long realised we are dealing with a short-tempered evil spirit who demands a sacrifice of our collective dignity so he can let us live.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY: 'LEADERS OF TOMORROW' IS A SCAM!

"Youth is not a time of life; it is a state of mind; it is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees; it is a matter of the will, quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life." - Samuel Ullman

Retrospectively, I was not born yet when President Buhari (Then General) was a military head of state, I was still somewhere unknown. Now that I'm of age, being an undergraduate, Buhari is still my head is state. I hate gerontocracy with passion, even if it is features in one or two political office(s) out of many. Leadership is not based on age, it is a concept distanced from age.

Reparations for Slavery

I was listening to a lecture themed "History and the Pan African Nation" delivered by the Vice Chancellor of the University of West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles and a remarks made by Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at the University of Lagos on Tuesday. Of course, it was a brilliant lecture and the inspiration to pen this down was derived from the lecture.

Between Blames and Performance – A Tale of Incompetent Leadership

Oluwasegun Phillips-Alonge

By Oluwasegun Phillips-Alonge

I am not surprised that Lai Mohammed is still blaming the past administrations for the economic difficulties of this hour, that is Lai being the quixotic Lai Mohammed. What the Buhari government fail to understand correctly is that responsible leaders don’t engage in the losers’ lark of blaming others for misfortunes. While the previous political administrations may have their failures, they were compassionate enough to avoid pursuing the inhumane primeval economic policies of the past fourteen months.  

In the words of the central bank governor, the present financial pressure on the people is a direct result of the discordant and illogical economic directives from the top. After fourteen months in government, the Buhari Administration is still unable to convince Nigerians of how its economic policies will free Nigerians from financial hardship.

History; The Future Of Nigeria |BY GBADEBO RHODES-VIVOUR|

BY GBADEBO RHODES-VIVOUR

In early September, it was with a heavy heart I signed a petition made by Omei Bongos Ikwue  on change.org to ‘Keep the study of History in Nigerian schools’ . Apparently, the Nigerian government decided to remove history from school curriculum’s for reasons such as- ‘there are neither jobs for graduates of history’, nor ‘sufficient teachers for students of history ’. Furthermore of all their subjects, secondary school students rank Mathematics, English and Biology highly because these subjects are prerequisites for admission into universities and lastly, Students rate history so low because, according to them,

“Society itself does not rate history highly.”

I have always wondered how it’s possible for alleged drug barons to become senators, how convicted criminals become governors and why the Nigerian people are known to have such a short memory especially when compared to societies such as the British, where activities done by people in their teens can hunt them when they seek political office, or members of parliament retire for misappropriating 500 pounds the equivalent of NGN70,000. Ironically, Nigerians complain about their leaders, but the leaders come from the people. Some Leaders from elite backgrounds, others grew up without shoes. Some leaders without a formal education others with PHD’s. What gives?

Saving Nigeria from Nigerians: Time to be a 'Realistic Optimist'

"When plans and theories seem to have failed and the path ahead appears crooked; when today looks bleak and tomorrow appears dreary; when the systemic stench signals a deepening and the societal decadence portends a protraction; when the citizens’ strength to keep holding on has dissipated and the inner push to keep up the fight for survival has waned, there, then, comes only one option available to the besieged and beleaguered people of a nation like Nigeria. HOPE! They have to keep HOPING that the tide will turn. That is all that the hapless people can do in the face of hard times that are now pounding hard on the country."
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Building a Legacy

Thousands of people today don’t believe purpose as something to discover or pursue in life. And others believe in a life purpose but won’t take the risk to honor it. Those with positive influence feel otherwise. They have found that there is a purpose to their life, and that purpose usually involves some aspect of turning their “mess into a message,” or using what they’ve learned (often the hard way) as a means of being of service to others.

People who positively impact the world not only obtain amazing results in their work, but their process of obtaining these results – how they operate in life — is also inspiring and uplifting. They are happy to help and support others, and have an overflow of positive energy that enriches the lives of everyone they work with and connect with. These positive influencers wantothers to grow. They walk away from “success-building” opportunities that will be hurtful and damaging to others. They know that those destructive approaches go against the very meaning and purpose they’re committed to.

Building a legacy is the furthest thing on our mind. But I’d argue that it should be at the forefront of everything we do. Don’t just focus on building a good life today, create a life that will leave it’s fingerprint on this planet for years to come.Look around you and you’ll see three kinds of people – those who hate their work, and complain bitterly, those who just tolerate their work and see it as a paycheck and aren’t looking for more (or feel they can’t have more), and finally, those who love their work, and relish it. The third category is a small subset of all professionals globally, but this group stands out because these are, most often, the people who change the world for the better.A legacy isn’t something that is singular. A legacy is created through having a massive impact on a select few, or a large population. How do you have a massive impact on people? You help them.

Let's just divide Nigeria

It's time to part ways! We have indeed come a long way, but it is time for us to go different ways. Things that separate us overshadow those that unite us, and indeed, we never agreed to walk together at the beginning, more reason why the 'walking' is difficult (Can two walk together unless they agree? - Amos 3: 3)

What's the gain of trying to safe a marriage that took place without the consent of the couples? Couples that are not compatible! The marriage without 'I do' is heading towards the path of dissolution. And some are advocating for a 'drastic divorce'.
I do believe that two can't walk together unless they agree, but come to think of it, we have walked together for almost 56 years!!! Despite all the challenges, we are still one. Is it now time for us to destroy a journey of 56 years? Imagine a man, after 56 years of marriage, divorcing his wife? 

I have always been believing in this country. I have always been believing that we can live together as one united entity. We may have many things that divide us but certain things do unite us, why can't we strengthen those things that unite us?

To those who think it's time we go separate ways, you think it's easy to divide a country? I do believe we passed through many challenges that were strong enough to divide us, but unity prevailed. In the future, there may be an undeniable reason for us to divide, but for now, there is none.

I look forward to a Nigeria where each region controls her resources. I look forward to a true federalism. Never mind the heading, it's indeed time to strengthen our unity.

I HAVE A DREAM!

I have a dream! My dream is to see a better Nigeria! A place where the national interest is placed above personal interest! A place were peace reigns! A place where sovereignty belongs to the people! A place where there is strict adherence to the principles of rule of law!

There is a Cry!

There is a cry! A cry from the West,the East and the North. There is a cry from a people! Tears are flowing! People are suffering! The pain is too much! The frustration is high! "When will this end?" is a question written on the face of the people. The law is silent! Back then,the link between law and moral was strong. Laws are becoming immoral! Division along class line! The poor are no more necessary part of the society while the rich constitute the society.

There is a cry! The world is tired of faking it! The world s

WAS MY GOVERNMENT TEACHER WRONG?

At school, Government was my best subject! My passion for the subject was great! It was as if I was learning about life on another planet,band I never got tired of listening! I was remarkably attentive! In class,the teacher moved like quicksilver, he never remained long in the same place; he was here, there and everywhere! Lessons were given in an impressive silence!
My Government teacher taught me that
sovereignty belongs to the people!
How can Nigerians be suffering when the supreme power and authority belong to them? He said democracy is all about the people. Was he wrong? Or maybe he was right that sovereignty belongs to the people but his definition of sovereignty was wrong! Come to think of it, I saw the definition in the textbooks with my two eyes! Maybe the author was wrong! If not,the textbook was outdated!
Was my Government teacher wrong? Maybe he was! If not,maybe the textbook wasn’t for Nigeria(but it was written by a Nigerian) Something must be wrong somewhere! Please help !

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