Let’s talk about unemployment

AN idle hand is the devil’s workshop. This is a popular saying in Nigeria. Nigerian universities and other tertiary institutions yearly produce millions of graduates without employment opportunities. Though some sturdy courses that border on vocation, they are unable to establish their own businesses due to paucity of funds.

Like water that will always find a path, unemployment has lured many youths into social vices and major crimes; armed robbery, internet scam, ritual killing, kidnapping and many others. All these are impediments to the progress of our nation.

To bail Nigeria out of this perilous menace, the government should attend to the power supply because the current epileptic nature of our power sector has adversely affected many industries which heve resorted to laying off of workers.

Also, the licence of private power distribution companies should be revoked and the process taken over by the Federal Government.

Recently, some dams in Nigeria were licensed by the Senate to generate electricity in addition to Kanji Dam, if done in good time, this will improve power supply.

Tariff on importation of raw materials should be reduced to enable producers to employ more. Multiple taxation is another impediment that has hampered the progress of investors which hold them to ransom.

Loans should be given to small and medium scale industries with minimal interest to encourage industrialisation and the current security challenges should be adequately tackled. These will encourage foreign investments.

In addition, N Power beneficiaries should be given permanent appointment while other industries sold to private investors should also be taken over by government. All these will definitely reduce unemployment rate in Nigeria and as well reduce crime.

Lasun Azeez, Iseyin