CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background
to the Study
Nigeria is bedeviled with myriad of
problems despite her oil wealth that inhibit her development and even threaten
her continued existence as a sovereign state. Nigeria’s socio-political and
economic circumstances give the significant indication that many of her
problems stem from an origin of artificial
colonial construct which lumped
together a variety of separate peoples. Fragmentation of the nation is seen as
a distinct possibility unless its citizens can be induced to accept a new sense
of Nigeria identity involving a commitment to the survival of the present state
as a cohesive entity. This would necessitated a number of radical changes, not
only in the political and economic structure of the country but also in the
psychology of the people. Nigerians have lived through series of
administrations under different government in Nigeria and the question still
arises, is Nigeria a nation at all? A critical look at what the government
calls reform results in personally instituted concept of governance, filling
the seats of power with those they believe to be their kin, rather than have
professionals in the positions of merit, and a breed of people typified by
their integrity of heart, gained in the trainings and qualifications. They have
received in the course of service to the nation.
With an increasing number of those who
are not gainfully employed or adequately educated in the country. They remain
preys as political tools of violence, as it has been seen in the history of
violence occurring in the country over a period of time. The country has depended
much on oil as its major source of revenue for years. However, the current
administration also fails to recognize that the future of the country may very
well depend on the economy of its people (the youths), which is possibly the
only untapped, ill harnessed most lucrative resources of the country. If it
remains this way in the next ten years, putting into consideration the effect
of increased poverty, lack of employment, poor educational system, it is
unpredictable what the result will be.
The table below shows the statistical
data of the rate of unemployment and the population rate from 2006 to 2011 in
Nigeria. It is the result of a survey carried out by the National Bureau of
statistics and shows that persons aged 0-14 years constituted 39.6%, those aged
between 15-64 (the economically active population), constituted 56.3%, while
those aged 65years and above constituted 4.2%. Analysis of employment data for
the part 5years show that the rate of new entrants into the labour market has
not been uniform in the past five years. The rate was on the increase from 2007
to 2009 but declined significantly from 2009 to 2010. The rate increased again
from 2010 to 2011. Within the five year period there has been an average of about
1.8 million new entrants into the active labour market per year.
Table
1.1: Trend of new entrants into the
active labour from
2007 to 2011.
|
Nigeria
population
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
|
|
140,431
|
14,925,607
|
149,563,227
|
154,349,250
|
159,288,426
|
164385,656
|
|
Economically
Active
|
78,922,666
|
81,448,191
|
84,054,533
|
86,744,278
|
89,520,095
|
92,384,738
|
|
Labour
force
|
57,455,701
|
59,294,283
|
61,191,700
|
63,149,835
|
651,170,629
|
67,256,090
|
|
Employed
|
50,388,655
|
51,763,909
|
52,074,137
|
50,709,317
|
51,224,115
|
51,181,849
|
|
Unemployed
|
7,067,051
|
7,530,374
|
9,117,563
|
12,44,517
|
13,946,515
|
16,074,205
|
|
Newly
unemployed
|
|
463,323
|
1,587,189
|
3,322,954
|
1,505,997
|
2,127,691
|
Source: National Bureau of statistics
Table
1.2: unemployed rate by
Educational level, A
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