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Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Unemployment: The Ticking Time-Bomb


Nice article by Salisu Suleiman:


How many people have paused to reflect on the frustration of millions of Nigerians who have no idea where and when their next meals will come from? Can one truly appreciate the angst of millions of Nigerians in their 20s and 30s who have no jobs, no prospects and no hopes?

While all attention has been focused on Boko Haram, it is easy to forget the more deadly existential threat that is primed and ticking towards a massive detonation. But the coming explosion will not be restricted to the north: it will shake all of Nigeria: That is the danger of having 20 million youth with nothing to do.

Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Bolaji Abdullahi, recently admitted that 20 million Nigerian youth were unemployed. Other observers believe the figure is higher, especially in the north. In all, some estimates suggest that Nigeria has about 90 million people who are willing and able to work, but about 70 million have no productive employment. Whatever the actual figures may be, the truth is that unemployment is a major challenge to Nigeria’s growth and stability and is the reason why over 100 million Nigerians live in poverty.


Read the rest of the article here.

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