THE Ogun State Government, on Thursday, offered 20 graduates automatic employment.
This development was coming on the heels of the promise by the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that lucky applicants at the launch of the State Jobs Portal, would be given employment opportunities.
Abiodun who expressed worry over the rate of unemployment in the country noted that something urgent needed to be done to address this challenge in the overall interest of the nation.
He explained that the country presently records 23.1 per cent of unemployment rate which represents about 20.93 million young people out of job.
He said, “For those who care, a country with a 23.1 per cent unemployment rate or 20.93 million young people out of job is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. To underscore the severity of this challenge, you all will recall how many of our young people died looking for Immigration jobs in 2014.
ALSO READ: FULL TRANSCRIPT: Our condition in Indian hospital worse than Nigeria’s, El-Zakzaky cries out
“Also recently, when the Customs Service called for employment, 525,215 applicants applied online for the less than 2,000 vacant positions. We cannot sit and watch this situation degenerate any further hence this is a way of thinking out of the box. Not all of us will do White Collar jobs and not all White Collar jobs increase GDP.”
The governor said the portal, Jobs. ogunstate. org.ng would provide a platform for readily available and updated information of graduates and those with vocational skills across the State, with the aim of matching them with potential employers, training opportunities, not only within the Public Service but also with the Private Sector, as partners.
The Vice -President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, called on states of the federation to copy Ogun State, in their bids to provide employment for the unemployed youths.
Osinbajo said the Federal Government would support the state in its quest of providing employment while urging the youths to develop themselves in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing and technology.