The Effects of Unemployment on Youths
CHAPTER ONE
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
- This research to identify the problems of unemployment youths and proffer necessary solution to conquer it.
- It will also focus on the economic effects of unemployment of youths in Agbado Oke-Odo local government area of Lagos state.
- The study will provide relevant information, data and materials for policy formulation and for policy makers.
- In addition, the study also aimed at making the youths realize the fact that they have to be resourceful. i.e. To think about what they can do for themselves and not what the nation can always do for them.
- The study is hope to encourage the youths to strive to be self employed so as to improve the nation’s economy.
- It will also examine the various government policies in reducing the rate of unemployment especially for the youths.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
THE CONCEPT OF UNEMPLOYMENT
Like others in the fields of human endeavour unemployment has received various definitions and descriptions. This is because human beings view things from different perspectives. Therefore, this sub-section is meant to review some of the definitions of unemployment given by scholars and then, try to agree on working definition the same
Every economy is characterized by both active and inactive populations. The economically active ones are referred to as the population willing and able to work, and include those actively engaged in the production of goods and services and those who are unemployed. The International Labour Organization (ILO) defines the unemployed as numbers of the economically active population who are without work but available for and seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs and those who have voluntarily left work (World Bank, 1998).
Similarly, the National Bureau of statistics (NBS) defines unemployment as the proportion of labour force that is available for work but did not work for at least 39 hours in the week preceding the survey period (Central Bank of Nigeria Annual Report, 2008).
Jhingan (2009) stipulated that unemployment is involuntary idleness of a person willing to work at the prevailing rate of pay but unable to find it. It implies that only those persons are to be regarded as unemployed who are prepared to work at the prevailing rate of pay but cannot find work.
According to Ogboru (2010), unemployment exists where persons capable of and willing to work at the prevailing rate of pay are unable to find work. Stipulating that unemployment must be involuntary, as it excludes the idle, the rich and those on strike who are voluntarily unemployed. Excluding, also those incapable of work as a result of mental or physical disability.
Nevertheless, unemployment is a situation whereby able men and women, willing and capable of work cannot find any due to reasons outside their control as it excludes individuals who are not in search of work. It is one of the macro-economic problems which every responsible government is expected to monitor and regulate. The higher the unemployment rate in an economy the higher would be the poverty level and associated welfare challenges.
CHAPTER THREE
METHOD AND PROCEDURE
RESEARCH DESIGN
The study will adopt a descriptive survey design in which both qualitative and quantitative approaches would be used since it requires the examination of a sample from a population. According to Nworgu (1992), descriptive survey design is one in which a group of people or items are studied by collecting and analyzing data from only a few people or items considered to be a representation of the entire population. Therefore, the researcher will use survey design in carrying out the study on the “Effect of Youth Unemployment in Ajeroi lfelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State”.
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
This chapter supplies analysis of data collected through the questionnaires distributed and retrieved in order to ascertain the effect of youth unemployment on the Nigerian economy
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
SUMMARY
This research work is motivated into examining the significant effect of youth unemployment on the Nigerian economy as it studied Ajeroi lfelodun Local Government Area of Lagos State. In carrying out the study, the researcher adopted both theoretical and analytical methods, using questionnaires as the main source of data. The conceptual framework are primarily theoretical, defining the concepts involved.
CONCLUSION
From all indications, youth unemployment is a menace in Nigeria and constitutes a real danger and a threat to Nigeria’s social, economic and political development. This is because these youths could be manipulated to undermine the stability of Nigeria’s democracy at any point in time. Against this background, there is the need by government at all levels, international community and other stakeholders to embark on massive job creation to take these youths off the streets. The research also placed a substantial hope in the power and potential of career guidance to transform the relationship between the educational system and the labour market. However, career guidance can only be a panacea for reducing the rate of youth unemployment in conjunction with technical and vocational education.
In addition to the aforementioned, the provision of an enabling environment, planned job creation, introduction of more entrepreneurship programmes and education, the diversification of the economy, establishment of labour intensive industries in the rural areas to reduce rural-urban drift, improvement in Research and Development (R&D). Moreover, the energy skills and aspirations of youths are invaluable assets that no country can afford to waste. Therefore, holding them to realise their full potential by gaining access to employment is a precondition for poverty eradication, sustainable development and lasting peace. No amount of career guidance will help if there are no employment opportunities, no entrepreneurial skills to facilitate self employment, and no technical and vocational skills needed for gainful employment.
Finally, democracy is a journey not a destination. It is a learning process for the Nigerian people and the Nigerian youths must feel the positive effect of democracy in their lives. The situation whereby only a few privileged persons in positions of authority benefit from this system of government at the expense of the impoverished masses portends a great and real danger that may incur the wrath of the unemployed youths in Nigeria if not addressed urgently. Nigerian leaders should strive to promote good governance in other to engender youth empowerment, employment and socio-economic development.
RECOMMENDATION
Based on the findings of this research work, the researcher therefore makes the following recommendations:
The government should ensure that the policy measures be strictly adhered to by encouraging the various financial institutions to grant soft loans to potential and prospective youth entrepreneurs in order to encourage small scale businesses.
Entrepreneurship education should be incorporated into the curricula of secondary schools and tertiary institutions. This will help shift the youth from being “job seekers” to “job creators” and also from social dependence to self-sufficient people. Hence, teachers at all levels of education must be properly rewarded and motivated in this regard.
School-to-work transition skills should be introduced into the curricula of senior secondary school and tertiary institutions in the nation, specifically, for the final year students who are about to enter into competitive labour market. The training should create avenues for providing experience with a view to promoting and developing desirable work ethics and culture for national development. Youth should be trained to possess skills that are congruent with real labour market demands.
Measures should be put in place to control the rate of population growth especially resulting from rural-urban migration since a number of youths were from distant areas and ended up in this area. This habit needs to be checked. Plans need to be made for resettlement and rehabilitation individuals.
In promoting youth entrepreneurship, government should concentrate on those activities where youth are known to have comparative advantage. Globally, modern information and communication technologies are offering significant opportunities for job creation. The Nigerian government should therefore explore how the ICT industries can provide new jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for the youth. They could then take advantage of these exploration activities to mobilize the energies of the youth from destructive tendencies to productive people.
Vocational and technical education should be introduced at all levels of education. It is an indisputable means of reducing youth unemployment since it is skilled-oriented and employment motivated.
All elements of the society that is, the government, institutions, religious organizations and the family should would their bid in creating and promoting a conducive for investment.
Infrastructures that will provide employment to thousands of people such as good roads, electricity, provision of portable drinking water, health care facilities etc should be embarked upon by the government in attestation to what they promised the people.
The anti-corruption agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other statutory organization must locate the root causes of corruption and address it.
Agricultural programme scheme should be established to stimulate the interest of the country’s youths toward agriculture.
REFERENCE
- Adebayo, A. (1999). Youth Unemployment and National Directorate of Employment Self Employment Programmes. Nigerian Journal of Economics and Social Studies, 41(1), 81-102.
- Adeloye, L. (2010). Harsh Operating Environment Claims 834 Nigerian Manufacturing Companies — Investigation. Sunday Punch, Sunday, 31 October.
- Alanana, O.O. (2003). Youth Unemployment in Nigeria: Some Implications for the Third Millennium. Global Journal of Social Science, 2(1), 21-26.
- Alao, O. (2005). Principles of Economics: Darkol Press and Publishers. Isolo, Lagos.
- Anasi, S.N. (2010). Curbing Youth Restiveness in Nigeria: The Role of Information and Libraries, Library Philosophy of Practice. Retrieved 20/1/12.
- Anyanwuocha, R.A. (1998). Fundamentals of Economics for Senior secondary Schools. African Fep Publishers Ltd, Onitsha. Nigeria.
- Awogbenle, A.C. and Iwuamadi, K.C. (2010). Youth Unemployment: Entrepreneurship Development Programme as an Intervention Mechanism. African Journal of Business Management, 4(6), 831-835.
- Ayinde, O.E. (2008). Empirical Analysis of Agricultural Growth and Unemployment in Nigeria. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 3(7), 465-468.
- Balasuriya, L. and Hughes, R. (2003). Education and employment: Sri Lanka at the crossroads. Paper submitted at the 9th International Conference on Sri Lanka Studies, Matara, Sri Lanka.
- Bello, T. (2003). Attacking Unemployment Hurdles in the Fragile Economies of the Sub-Saharan Africa: The Experience of Nigeria. Paper presented at the – Economics for the Future –Conference; On The Occasion Of The Celebration Of 100 Years Of Cambridge Economics; Cambridge, United Kingdom.
