The Federal Government through it’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige in many forums had advised Nigerian youths and graduates not to depend on the country to provide jobs for them.
Even recently in Benin, he re-emphasized that graduates should be more entrepreneurial rather than waiting for the government. This is the bitter reality that confronts every Nigerian graduate.
Several indices still show that the unemployment rate in Nigeria is getting worse with the FG projecting that the figures will hit 33.5 percent by 2020. This is also in concomitant with the high rising rate of inflation and economic meltdown in Nigeria.
Any Nigerian graduate should start developing the mindset of creating jobs for themselves and stop swimming in the ocean of illusions.
Be Creative and Entrepreneurial
No Nigerian unemployed graduate will survive without being creative and entrepreneurial. Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.
”Nigerian youths should discover ways of making themselves employable rather than waiting for white-collar jobs,” Jude Image, Senior Special Assistant to Goodluck Jonathan on Youths and Students Affairs said in an African Youth Leadership Summit, Abuja.
”Our young Nigerians should start thinking outside government jobs as there is no government either in Nigeria or anywhere in the world that can completely eradicate unemployment.”
According to Dr. Jerome Nyame, Lecturer, Taraba State University, Nigerian youths must stop wasting their time looking for government jobs.
”Try and create jobs that can bring income and happiness to you and your communities.”
Entrepreneurial journey may seem dicey but remains a good path to thread. It could be something like having your own small business.
Internship Programs
There is nothing stopping you from applying for internship programs. Many startups or even bigger organizations test the waters by rolling out internship programs for graduates.
Most of these organizations will not hesitate to employ any intern who has done exceptionally well. It’s not possible! Internship programs open doors for young people to get accustomed to the corporate world.
The knowledge gathered during the internship period is invaluable. It provides that rare opportunity of expanding your knowledge and benefit from invaluable on-the-job experience.
Learn a Skill
When you learn a skill as a young graduate and with the time you perfect those skills, there is a tendency to become happy while doing your job.
According to Jobberman Salary Survey, only 12 percent of employees in Nigeria are happily employed with reference from the Jobberman Salary Survey.
It’s quite interesting that most Nigerian undergraduates are beginning to develop that mindset of learning a skill prior to graduation. There is also nothing wrong with learning skills after graduation from a higher institution.
Do not be among those who hurriedly learn a skill without having a deep though over it. Whatever skill you decided to develop should be enveloped with dire interest and passion. It is not just enough to learn skills because society told you to do so.