Before you read this, is there any need to end the problem as regards youth restiveness and unemployment? Is terrorism a threat to our collective existence? If you believe we can live in a lasting peace and harmony please continue reading this article else check out other posts in our publications to learn 1 or 2 things.
Beyond terrorism, what about the constant agitations that has robbed certain regions of economic growth due to agitations by young people?
So the aim of this article is to help reason together and come out with a lasting solution we can use to curb future disasters.
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Remember youth restiveness and unemployment has caused
- Loss of lives and properties
- Economic sabotage
- Threat to our national peace
- Others: You can share with us in the comment section
I won’t dwell much on the 3 effects listed above but let me just take you down memory lane in the last few months or years.
- In 2020, a certain group of young people protested against police brutality in Nigeria. The movement was tagged #endsars.
The movement would have been the greatest victory against corruption which is alleged to be prevalent in the country’s police force.
But while the protests were midway, the government allegedly sizing a greater number of youths who are unemployed, used such opportunity to infiltrate the camps of the organisers to disrupt the idea.
The end was bloodshed led by the Nigeria Army at the Lekki Tollgate. The country was thrown into mourning for several months while her leaders clicked glasses of wine in celebration over such level of a heartless massacre.
Using touts to finish off the initial war on the protesters, it is alleged that the youths were used to loot and rob businesses while the government laid blames on the initial innocent protest.
Today the situation has not been any better in the country. People are still brutalized by law enforcement agents who lack courtesy when addressing SUSPECTED criminals and offenders before a court action is taken.
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You can now deduce what employment has caused this nation. I know you have other instances to cite please just hold on and check out the next event.
- The Owo Massacre and other forms of terrorism
In a country that enshrines right to worship in her constitution, her citizen has every right to worship anywhere accepted by the same constitution without fear of any ills.
But in Nigeria, the situation is the reverse. Recently, a group of worshippers were massacred in cold blood by terrorists alleged to be the Fulani Herders. Over 50 persons were allegedly massacred in cold blood while the leader from certain religious sect prescribed a government ministry for these terrorists.
You may find it hard to relate this to youth’s restiveness and unemployment. After all, there should be no justification for a crime committed advertently.
But the truth is that a man who has a future in the IT industry as I will discuss later in this article will hardly sit down to think of a crime when he can use technology to solve some problems in his locality or remotely, creating employment for himself.
- Restiveness and unemployment has caused a lot more damages than I can explain in this single article. From the economic sabotage of oil facilities in the south-south or Niger Delta region of the country to the illegal mining in the North, youth’s restiveness and unemployment has led to a greater loss than we can imagine.
How can we end youth’s restiveness and unemployment?
In my personal solution I would suggest:
- Agriculture
- Information Communication Technology (ICT).
- About agriculture, I will plead that we shift the discussion to another article. This is because there are more to discuss as regards abandoned farmlands even in the Niger Delta which is covered with water.
The school curriculum do not also support practical agriculture that will enable the young minds to till the soil, plant the crops and watch it grow. Everything starts and ends in the classroom not even the laboratory.
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So we have a lot to discuss under this category.
- ICT: If there is any solution I would proffer as an antidote for youth’s restiveness and unemployment it is the application of ICT.
At a global level, ICT has produced successful men and women in the industry and the use of technology can never be outdated.
As long as communication is needed for development, ICT will never be faced out. In politics, education, agriculture, law, engineering, medicine, etc. technology is needed at one level or the other.
Nations have recognized the importance of ICT and have made frantic efforts to develop and incorporate ICT in education programmes. Hence, education is the process of shaping individual’s behaviour for adequate adjustment in the society. This adjustment is vital for national development. Nigeria has a laudable ICT vision and has incorporated computer education as one of the subjects to be offered at all levels of education. One of Nigeria’s specific aims of ICT vision statement is to empower the youths with ICT skills and prepare them for global competition. Youth are the driving forces that determine the future and hope of many societies.
The need to reoriented youth on being self sustaining with high achievement through the use of Information and communication technology (ICT). With these, many have shown interest in changing the face of society through the use of Information and communication technology, focusing mainly on impacting worthwhile skills and practical knowledge in the areas of networking, computers and Global System of Communication (GSM) repairs.
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With such skills, the average young people can organise themselves in order to address their own needs and interests. They can make their particular contribution to social progress and be an asset to the growing economy of the area, as such skills and manpower are in high demand due to the emerging technology explosion.
The provision of training facilities will help to reach out to marginalised and disadvantaged communities in targeted areas through the use of information and communication technology. The facilities of laptops and desktop computers, among others, will create business incubation and networking opportunities where business, market and related information experiences work continuously via Information and communication technology while enabling young people to be self-sufficient in ways that will serve them throughout their lifetime.
Youths have an opportunity to be self-employed, and they are exposed to entrepreneurship through the use of information and communication technology. The demand of technology is seen to be a reality in creating employment opportunity for young people, where the youths will show their interest and creativity in software applications, bio-engineering, digital media, and mobile applications, which will attract young people’s creativity. Social interactions through the use of information and communication technology will help reliable and creative business ideas in the next few years, so that they can respond more effectively in all aspects of learning needed, and to document the best information and communication technology practices among the youths for future benefit.
The hope of every citizen, especially the Nigerian citizen, is to see that his or her country is developed with no negative effect, idea or system. This will go with a particular reference in improving the quality of life and eradicating poverty among young people who are disadvantaged and excluded from information and communication technology and opportunity because of their poverty and illiteracy.
Today, many Nigerian youths have keen desire to access information and communication technology, with a particular focus on gaining worthwhile skills and practical knowledge in the areas of networking, computers and global system of communication repairs.
So in conclusion Ministries and MDAs should be created and a template that will help young people realize their potentials in the tech industry should be developed as soon as possible. The world is revolutionizing technologically and Nigeria can’t be left behind.
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We can correct the present anomalies only if we set a target to achieve this goal. What’s your take in this? Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
