1. My name is Bell Ihua, I'm a Global Citizen from the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Let me start my commentary by wishing all our dear workers #HappyWorkersDay, especially all those providing essential services to our beloved country. Today, i've come to #Push4JobCreation. 
This is because for us to be talking about Workers Day, it means people should have "Work". But we know that not everyone that's able and willing to work in Nigeria (and elsewhere) can find decent work, and that's the essence of my commentary today. #Push4JobCreation
2. I'm truly concerned about the triple whammy effect of Covid-19, Unemployment and Insecurty that many Nigerians have been made to face this period. I'm concerned about the state of insecurity, fuelled by the rate of unemployment and that's why I'm here to #Push4JobCreation
3. Our Employment stats are not smiling. According to @nigerianstat Nigeria's Unemployment stood at 23.1% in Q3 2018, & Underemployment stood at 20.1%. I typically prefer to add the two figures because there are loads of graduates and skilled Nigerians ... #Push4JobCreation
... out there who simply can't find decent work and have had to resort to taking up any odd jobs at all, just to keep body and soul together. So if you add the two figures we have about 43.2% of Nigerians who are either Unemployed or Underemployed. #Push4JobCreation
This is a huge problem, because the stats for youth unemployment is even much higher, and as it's often said, Nigeria is currently seating on barrels of gun powder, cos the bulk of our productive hands are idle and can't be kept busy... #Push4JobCreation
... As they say, "the idle mind is the devil's workshop". This is a tragedy, and in my opinion no President or Governor should be comfortable knowing that the bulk of their productive capacity are laying idle and wasting aimlessly out of joblessness. #Push4JobCreation
4. By virtue of my work as a pollster / social researcher, I've been privileged to travel the length and breadth of Nigeria, visiting every single state on data collection activities, and I have met these unemployed folks. #Push4JobCreation
The story is the same everywhere. I have met them, I've interacted with them, from Abakiliki to Askira-Uba, Birnin Kebbi to Bende, Sabongida-Ora to Sokoto, Khana to Kaura-Namoda, Yenagoa to Yola, you name it. #Push4JobCreation
I've seen the strength of our #Youths wasting by hanging around roadsides & garages, playing Draughts, chilling in #Paraga joints, passing time in #BetNaija shops (give it to BetNaija, they've penetrated Nigeria like Coke) in every state, LGA & community. #Push4JobCreation
Mind you, we're not talking about "Lazy Nigerian Youths" here. We are talking about responsible Nigerian Citizens, graduates and non-graduates, intelligent, skilled, politically-saavy, able-bodied, willing to work, but just can't find decent work to do. #Push4JobCreation
5. Up until the 90s & 2000s, Skills Acquisition Centre were working in Nigeria, and there was something called the Trade Test, which was like a certificate awarded to artisans- Electricians, Carpentars, Mechanics, Plumbers etc when they completed their training #Push4JobCreation
... it was such a big deal in those days to have a Trade Test... But as with every other sector, our skills acquisition centres gradually lost steam; to the point that Nigeria has now become a hub for artisans from neighbouring Togo, Benin and Mali. #Push4JobCreation
6.This was the purpose for establishing institutions such as the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) and the National Board for Technology Incubation (NBTI). Sometimes I wonder what these organizations are doing, because Nigeria isn't feeling their impact. #Push4JobCreation
It is either NDE & the likes are overwhelmed by the unemployment situation in the country or their current leadership isn't doing enough to meet up with the challenges of 21st century Nigeria. There's just something not adding up wt the delivery of their mandate #Push4JobCreation
7. Today we hear about the 1 Million Boys and the havoc they're wreaking in parts of Lagos. It's interesting they've gotten up to 1M. I recall in the 90s we had groups such as 36 Kiniun (Lions) & 24 Tambolo (Soldier Ants) in the Oshodi Area of Lagos... #Push4JobCreation
... as it was back then, so it is today, perhaps in much higher dimension. These guys are simply victims of the society, who've had to resort to crime and violence as a way of expressing their angst and resentment against the Nigerian state... #Push4JobCreation
... A state they feel socially disconnected from... one that, they reckon, hasn't been kind or fair to them, hasn't provided them any opportunities for social mobility, employment, social welfare, Medicare or social housing. So this is their way of revolting... #Push4JobCreation
8.Sadly, COVID-19 hasn't helped matters. It has been characterzed by shoddy humanitarian response, which has only succeeded in exposing the "backside" of the Govt's inability to effectively deliver social services to poor and vulnerable when it matters most... #Push4JobCreation
... So as we use to say in my University days, Covid-19 response has proved the saying that "all man for himself, God for all" as available palliatives appear to be merely drops in the ocean of needs. But my focus today is that we need to #Push4JobCreation & sustainable jobs too.
9. So Are there sectors that can help us create opportunities for massive job creation? Yes there are, and I can share a few thoughts: 1. Security - Our Police & entire Military are under staffed, and Govt can do well to recruit young Nigerians to serve.
#Push4JobCreation
#Push4JobCreation
Nigeria is estimated to have about 370K Police Officers, and we know this is a far cry from what's needed for a population of 200M. So if Govt decides to employ 500K new officers to join the force over the next few years, imagine the impact that will create #Push4JobCreation
Another sector that can create massive jobs for us is the ICT. Unlike India with abt 1.5B citizens, Nigeria hasn't been able to massively deploy her citizens to ICT. If only we can commit to kickstarting ICT hubs in all states & deploy 1M youths into ICT... #Push4JobCreation
Two other sectors on my mind are 1st, Industry, i.e. factories manufacturing products; & of course the 2nd is our Creative sector, which has grown exponentially with very little support. Imagine what could happen if it gets the right support? Let's discuss! #Push4JobCreation
@OlajonrinSegunn remember seeing #BetNaija in very remote location across the country.
@Wellroute do you remember any of these groups back in the 90s in Lagos 🤔. I'm wondering if I'm the only one that remembers these groups of street urchins...
