Unemployment In Nigeria: Has it Affected Your Family Too?

By Mfreke-Abasi Udonkang 

Mfreke-Abasi Udonkang 

High rate of unemployment in Nigeria is no longer a topic for debate as the obvious truth is seen in most families in the country especially those without connections and 'long legs'. The country undoubtedly has been hijacked by the political elites and men/women of substances in high places. These are the people who believe they own the country, therefore, they channel every good thing in the country to themselves including the topic at hand: employment leaving others, the poor and average citizens gasping for breathe for survival in the same country. What a country! 

While those in the families of the political elites may not experience one unemployed individual in their immediate and extended family, others in the poor and average families have stockpile of family members unemployed or in some cases underemployed (but that is a topic for another day).

For example in my family, I would use both immediate and extended family to draw my points. Over 85-90% of my family members are currently unemployed. Most of them are graduates in different fields while some are not. These are people under the age of 45. Some graduated from tertiary institutions many years ago with nothing to engage on till now. This however has left me to wonder what the future holds especially for me as I am in university at the moment. God forbid, I wouldn't want to be in a situation where older ones are. I repeat, God forbid!!! 

Figuratively, i can count 20 vibrant young men under the age 45 unemployed in my immediate and extended family. I can also count at least 20 women under this same age range (married or single) unemployed. Mind you, most of these people are graduates. 

I know people would say, entrepreneur is the solution to the situation, but most of these people can't even have access to N100k to start something. How do they start then with nothing as capital in their hands? Secondly, if the said entrepreneur is that reliable, how come the political elites not encouraging their children and loved ones to subscribe to it but would rather secure gainful employments for them in high places and then resort to advising the poor and average citizens to embrace entrepreneur? 

This piece can serve as a poll/platform for Nigerians to pour out the unemployment situations in their respective families for the world to see what is going on in the country called Nigeria. Who knows, these political elites may pause to have a rethink after reading the unfortunate situations going across the country. 

Lastly, as a question, how is the unemployment situation in your family? What is the way forward? 

Let's tell the world and chart a new course. We can't continue like this. Not at all!!!