Stop blame game, let’s create jobs for youths now – Saraki

The President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, has called on the federal government, the National Assembly, the private sector and the civil society, to as a matter of urgency, focus attention on youth unemployment and development crisis facing the county.

He said, it would do the country no good to continue to cast blame on any individual or administration on the account of unemployment rate in Nigeria.

Speaking at a one-day public hearing on youth development and empowerment at the National Assembly on Monday, Saraki said, “Nigerian youth deserve our immediate interest, best thinking and above all, our best efforts to create workable solutions to include their concerns in our national investment framework”.

“It is futile to point fingers or cast blame on any one else administration and/or government programme”, he said.

Saraki highlighted the factors responsible for youth unemployment to include, population growth outspacing economic growth; inability of school curricula to adequately equip students with skills for employment and inadequate industries to absorb competent graduates.

The Senate President therefore pledged the support of the National Assembly to any policy of the government or programme of the private sector or civil society organisations aimed at finding solutions to youth unemployment and developmental crisis.

The Senate public hearing which is trending on the hashtag #SenateOnJobCreation, is a continuation of the Youth Development Roundtable discussion sponsored by the Nigerian Senate on 9th October 2017.

Participants at the ongoing public hearing include, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Social Investment Program, Dr. Mrs Mariam Uwais; Director at the Ministry of Trade and Investment, Prof. Ochapa Onazi, President, High Tech Centre for Women and Youths, Dr.
Omowunmi Hassan, government agencies in job creations, empowerment and youth development, as well as civil society groups.

Recalled that, the National Bureau of Statistics reveals that, Nigeria has a youth labour force of 38.2m people of which 15.2m people are out of work or seeking for jobs.

Available statistics also show that, majority of the unemployed youths are female. At the end of the interactive session, it is expected that, the unemployment rate would reduce drastically in the country.