The economy is a weighty word on the lips of many Nigerians, and they cannot erode the realities of economic discussions coming up consistently in everyday life, particularly the issue of unemployment and high inflation. Why are so many young Nigerians unemployed?
The Nigerian Economy
Nigeria has the largest population of young people in the world, with the average age being 18.1 years. 70% of Nigeria’s population is under 30 and 42% are under the age of 15. This unique selling point offers a great opportunity to expand Nigeria’s capacity as the economic hub of Africa.
Recent events have given rise to inflation, and in response, the government has undertaken interventions, including subsidies drawn from national savings or surplus wealth to ensure affordable product access for consumers and workers.
The Unemployed
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s unemployment rate was at 5.3% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and declined to 4.1% in the first quarter of 2023.
However, this statistical result is the consequence of a new methodological survey carried out by the research institution, not the ingenious efforts of governmental decisions. NBS states the survey suffers from underreported data from governmental sources. Essentially, the real volume of the unemployed is relatively (too many indices to consider) unknown within the economy. It is safe to assume that a large portion of Nigeria’s youth population is either unemployed or underemployed.
Generally, there are two categories (voluntary and involuntary) of unemployment that can be further broken down into four types: frictional, cyclical, structural, and institutional unemployment. Frictional unemployment, aka search unemployment, is a type of unemployment that occurs in a society, usually reflecting a change in job or the need to attain new work.
Frictional unemployment, the number one form of unemployment for educated Nigerians, usually happens after the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Speaking on the Streetss with Francis, 25, on the effects unemployment on him.
“Early 2019, I had just finished NYSC far away in the North. I even worked with a multinational that had a branch in the North while in service, but, mehn, finishing was like a period of desperation. I mean, finishing your education and serving your fatherland is supposed to be a thing of joy, right? But mine was a different story, even though everyone in this Nigeria can relate.
Omo, I was constantly going from sadness to happiness. I knew they weren’t going to retain me, but neither did I want to go home (Lagos) too.
Eventually, I did go back after about a year, after doing labourer work, sleeping on the bare floor, and all, only for me to come home and COVID hit. It was like my life was on lockdown and my family was the social distance.
I did try to learn skills and send cv, and all that, to be honest, I just got tired, I stopped trying again, moved out, took my time to think, and now I hustle supplying drinks; a hustle this economy is barely helping, barely”.
Asking him about the skill gap that is usually cited as the issue, Francis rebutted,
“Fine, our education and curriculum don’t match with the real world; no problem. But for Christ’s sake, we have 36 states and Abuja, but you can only find jobs, I mean good jobs, in like 3 or 4 states, so these jobs shey dem be molue ni.
You get the skills eventually. Where are the jobs? oga do you dig?”
Francis’s frustration is just one voice within the search for unemployment in Nigerian culture; a culture affected by the education system continuously pushing out on average 600,000 graduates yearly.
Fundamentally, the Nigerian system just has enough capabilities to (under) educate its population but cannot demonstrate feasible labour opportunities to crunch the numbers; hence, since not many states are enabling the corporate sector, they cannot contribute meaningfully to national development.
Now, cyclical unemployment typically occurs when jobs are unavailable due to changes in skills and an economic downturn (like COVID or fuel scarcity). This unemployment is unique because it was established on time, consequently creating both employment and unemployment, and is also known as seasonal unemployment.
Speaking on the Streetss with Ejiro, 29, a graduate of English studies narrates her experience.
“Well, I applied for jobs, and none were forthcoming, especially as I always thought to myself, how do I fit in? Not like I don’t know, but I didn’t see how.
I decided to take up teaching not only out of lack but out of the fact that the university system had primed me for it, adding edu (education) to my course of study, but it was still Nigeria’s economy that pushed me out of the job; the pay was nothing compared to my expenses, and this was me taking different ones, and they never met my transport costs or my cost of living. I was being paid way less than my worth or contribution.
Then I went into mini-importation; after COVID, as per what everybody was doing, by the time I cleared goods, I would have to sell at a high price. Mind you, the exchange rates were not smiling, dollar was going up every week; eventually, eventually dollar crashed the business; I just couldn’t meet up”.
Ejiro’s response to the former President Buhari’s statement ‘let them go back to the farm’
“The issue is not that youths don’t learn from these things; the issue is, after learning, what next? They don’t set one up or sponsor, and then these independent youth are left to battle high costs of living, or should I say high running costs? You can’t train skills and still not empower it.”
Drawing from Ejiro’s comments, it seems the Nigerian culture only knows how to train but does not necessarily provide.
Institutional unemployment still bites Nigerian youths because it’s the type that highlights the contribution of government or organizational systems, culture, and policies to non-employment.
Institutional unemployment is a different breed; it seems targeted at a select few or everyone. Speaking on the Streetss with Funmi (32), and Dayo (25), they give insights into job hunting.
“I knew I was competent enough to land a job, but, Nigeria, like always, will surprise you, even after following all the rules you think will land you a job. But with hindsight now, landing a job should have not been my focus because I realized too late it’s about meeting criteria, criteria, that to be fair, are just against somebody.
First, it’s the academic grade, then professional qualifications, experience, gender, thankfully I’m a woman and then the deal-breaker, age. For me, it was a thing of almost getting it, minus the whole, picking their favorites over you.
And it’s not just the private sector; the government parastatals are no go areas; see its exhausting, its disqualification over merit, and don’t get me started on those torture they call interviews.
I’ve found purpose as a designer.” – Funmi.
“I am usually put off by the fact that, as a society, people find it ok to put in a job ad for a graduate assistant with no less than two years experience, apply. Like, wow, and no laws to put these organizations in check. I apply for the sake of it before I am tagged as unserious, lazy, or lacking ambition, abeg o.
Now put many factors on the job and yourself: transport and traffic, income and expenses, workload, and expectations. If at all you get it, many organizations lack structure; you could be on one spot for years or growing slowly, why because you want to fit in as qualified. I understand there’re few jobs, but I’m of the opinion there’re too many things making people unfit for work.
I put my master’s aside and operate a POS. – Dayo.
To close, many Nigerian youths (Gen Z and Millennials) find themselves in one unemployment category, and to each his own perspective within the issue. Another thing to consider in terms of perspective is the generational gap between parents, leaders, wards, and would-be employees; it’s like night and day.
Whichever side of the divide presents its own valid argument, the effect still remains: hopes are dashing, ambitions are adjusted, but expectations remain in a culture that has disappointed workers in its decision-making.
