INTRODUCTION
It is somewhat hard to establish a point from the beginning of an article
especially when it has to do with issues of this sort. I am attempting to bring
to the fore, an aspect of the unemployment issue that has been ignored for a
long time. There may not be enough evidence to buttress the points but this
article would serve as a pointer to the fact things sometimes, do seem much
more than they appear and also that there may be more than we know of it.
We are losing the war simply because we are fighting the wrong battle!
That might just be the whole summary of the issues of discourse here. We
Nigerians are very quick to responding to questions such as; “what are the
problems of Nigeria?” “Who are the causes of the problem of Nigeria? “ And so
on. We think we have a ready answer to each of the questions; very close to our
lips. We say the problems are so obvious we just cannot be wrong in guessing.
In spite of what we know, we have not been able to solve a myriad of
problems in Nigeria simply because while we are yet searching and researching
new methods of dealing with it, we may yet need to go back to the drawing board
or better still, stand on a higher platform so as to view and review the issue
anew. So many of them who assumed they knew the solutions to some of these
challenges have not in so much as properly weighed or tried these solution
whether they are truly reliable. One major solution people have recommended
with regards to unemployment in Nigeria is “create jobs” i.e. when jobs are
created, a lot of people would be accommodated in the system. But how far has
that relieved the system? Were the jobs created? Were the jobs enough to accommodate
the rising population of the unemployed? What is the nature of the jobs created
even? So many more questions would arise as you look critical upon this assumed
solution. Every time I try to ask myself, if truly the solutions are reliable,
why have they failed? We just need to look properly upon these challenges again
and understand them.
I have decided to talk about the issue of unemployment so as to
exemplify the point stated above - that we just need to think, and think again
to know the root causes of our nation’s predicaments. This is one of Nigeria’s
major predicaments. It is ever present around and its effect on the rise by the
day. A major consequence of unemployment is youth restiveness. A more recent
consequence is plaguing our dear country seriously at the moment and that is
the so-called “BOKO HARAM”. There is need for us to properly look at this
phenomenon from a new angle. Now let us take time to consider this issue in
detail.
UNEMPLOYMENT
Although we are abreast with the
meaning of this term, I have also deemed it fit to define it in this article.
From the Encarta Dictionary, this term is used to refer to a condition of
joblessness of a person or persons in society. It is the enforced idleness of wage earners who are able
and willing to work but cannot find jobs. In societies in which most people can
earn a living only by working for others, being unable to find a job is a
serious problem. Because of its human costs in deprivation and a feeling of rejection
and personal failure, the extent of unemployment is widely used as a measure of
workers' welfare. The proportion of workers unemployed also shows how well a
nation's human resources are used and serves as an index of economic activity.
IT IS NORMAL!
As I continue I would like to state clearly here that unemployment
is a normal and functional phenomenon of society. It cannot be completely
eradicated. There must be ‘the unemployed’ as far as society exists. When we
begin to look at the causes we will then understand this properly. This is not
to dispute its effect on individuals and society at large but I am only
ascertaining that on the normal, it is functional but when not properly managed
it becomes alarming in its effect.
CAUSES
Global economists have described the causes of unemployment as
frictional, seasonal, structural, and cyclical. We shall look at them one after
the other, but briefly.
FRICTIONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
Frictional unemployment arises because workers seeking jobs do not find them
immediately; while looking for work they are counted as unemployed. Friction
in this case refers to the incongruity between the demand for and supply of
labor. The amount of frictional unemployment depends on the frequency with
which workers change jobs and the time it takes to find new ones. About a
quarter of those unemployed at any particular time are employed one month
later.
SEASONAL UNEMPLOYMENT
Seasonal unemployment occurs when industries have a slow season, such as
construction and other outdoor work in rainy season. It also occurs at the end
of the school year, when large numbers of students and graduates look for work.
STRUCTURAL UNEMPLOYMENT
Structural unemployment arises from an imbalance between the kinds of
workers wanted by employers and the kinds of workers looking for jobs. The
imbalances may be caused by inadequacy in skills, location, or personal
characteristics. Technological developments, for example, necessitate new
skills in many industries, leaving those workers who have outdated skills
without a job. A plant in a declining industry may close down or move to
another area, throwing out of work those employees who are unable or unwilling
to move. Workers with inadequate education or training and young workers with
little or no experience may be unable to get jobs because employers believe
that these employees would not produce enough to be worth paying the legal
minimum wage.
CYCLICAL UNEMPLOYMENT
Cyclical unemployment results from a general lack of demand for labor.
When the business cycle turns downward, demand for goods and services drops;
consequently, workers are laid off.
UNDEREMPLOYMENT
It must be worthy of note here that the term unemployment rings in the
ears of Nigerians on a daily basis. But quite HARDLY you hear someone talking
about underemployment. Because its impact is so covert, we barely consider its
existence or see little or no difference between it and the former; we have
considered it no-threat. It may also be that we have very shallow idea of what
this concept truly means.
WHAT THEN IS UNDEREMPLOYMENT?
Simply put, this term refers to a condition of not having enough work to
do, or not being used in full capacity as required by the job description. It
is the inability to maximize work as a result of being unfit/misfit or
incapable for the job. On the other hand, it also refers to a condition where
individuals or group of persons are employed or self-employed on a job wherein
they are unable to fully maximize their proficiency.
It is noteworthy that in the case of unemployment, it was the individual
that is directly affected. But in the case of underemployment, it is the job
that is affected. This is from the view point that every job needs a competent employee
to maximize it. At the expense of employing anyone less competent, the job
would not be fully maximized.
This then goes further to explain to us that both the individual and the
job must be in compliance with one another – the employee must be proficient
and the job efficacious in order to bring about maximum result. The only proof
of work is positive results. Where the employee is incapable of maximizing a
job, production is hindered. This is why every employer must look out for
competent employees without sentiments.
CAUSES OF UNDEREMPLOYMENT
“....so a curse causeless shall
not come.” There are various factors that cause underemployment. But I
shall list just those that are necessary to the issue of discourse.
RELATIVE SENTIMENTS
Nigerians are people with so much compassion for one another that it has
in so many ways, crippled our businesses. This is because we try to allow our
emotions dictate in business activities. For instance, when we see that our
relation or friend is jobless, in a bid to helping the individual, we employ
them or refer them on a job that naturally or by qualification or skill, he/she
is incapable to handle. The individual becomes unproductive and the job is
affected whereas there is an individual suitable for the job that is yet
unemployed because the position is technically occupied but virtually vacant.
CHEAP WAGE LABOUR
Expertise is conventionally expensive in a sense. But a lot of business
owners employ very inefficient unproductive individuals simply because they
would not mind being paid peanuts as wages. In this case a misfit is employed,
the job suffers without the knowledge of the business, except on the long run,
and then the individual receives peanuts.
DEVOTEEISM
You might not find this word in any dictionary. But this is used to
explain a situation where some politicians as well as some economic leaders try
to protect their interest and seek cover for their whims and caprices by
employing some devotees who though are unable to maximize the job, remain
devoted to the protection of the interests of their perpetuators. We have
observed here that a good number of these devotees are educationally
unqualified, skillfully incompetent, and socially misfit. But simply because
their job describes something different from the job they are assigned for they
become very relevant. Take an example of a devotee employed as an accountant so
as to protect and cover the fraudulent activities of his/her employer. It therefore
means that proper accounting cannot be achieved but just for the sole purpose
of ensuring protection of interest.
Hence, we have so many top officials in government parastatals, large
corporations, firms, organizations, etc. who are only devotees to those whose
interests they protect and they do nothing but that. They receive huge amount
of money as salary but contribute little or nothing to the production process.
These also are technically employed but virtually unemployed, and the job under
maximized.
SELF ASSISTANCE
This stems out of a situation where a number of our unemployed youths
(graduates and non-graduates), having searched for jobs (with their
certificate) and finding none, and not willing to remain idle or steal to earn
a living, resort to doing very menial and unproductive jobs like riding okada, selling okrika selling or distributing recharge cards and making phone
calls, driving taxis, etc. whereas by their qualification, they are capable of
fitting into some position in most top firms. But simply because other persons
have technically occupied those positions through devoteeism, relative
sentimentality or cheap wage labour, etc. they become unemployed. So they try
to make ends meet by employing themselves in jobs that are unsuitable for them.
They are unable to maximize their worth in skills and acquisition. So their
attempt for self-assistance is actually self-underemployment.
WAYS TO CUSHION THE EFFECT OF
UNDEREMPLOYMENT
I want to believe that from this little writing, I may have succeeded in
swerving you mind from the assumed problem to the real problem per se.
therefore in order for us to reduce the rate of unemployment in our country, we
must first eradicate or reduce to the barest minimum, the high underemployment
rate. I will discuss two major ways in this article.
RE-STANDARDIZATION
We already know what standardization means. But I must add that standard
is only standard when its effects are local and suitable to the conditions of
the society and not just that it is set (usually by external factors outside
the societal system). We need to redesign a standard unique and suitable to our
nation. We must first look at how it affects our own citizens, business
environments or needs as a people before we implement it. So many standardized
policies here in Nigeria have never benefited Nigeria and her citizens, bad
enough, most of us do not yet realize this.
DE-EMPHASIZE CERTIFCATION
The much crave by individuals for certificate in Nigeria has recorded
much harm to our nation than the good assumed. Government parastatals and other
business corporations have laid too much emphases on having certificate that
all and sundry would do ANYTHING to get whatever certificate needed for the job
in question. Let me state here that certification is not wrong in itself. It
was suppose to serve as a proof that one studied what. But looking at the
Nigeria situation, those certified are even unable to defend what they hold
(certificate) in their possession.
NOT UNEMPLOYMENT BUT
UNDEREMPLOYMENT
The issue therefore is not actually unemployment but underemployment.
For instance, if we do not employ individuals on the bases of relative
sentiments, cheap wage labour, devoteeism and what have you, the high rate of
unemployment would not really dwindle but credible candidates for the job would
get it and the job effectiveness would increase. Let those who are unqualified
be relieved of their jobs and employ the very few that are very qualified both educationally
and skillfully.
RELIABLE SOLUTION TO
UNEMPLOYMENT/UNDEREMPLOYMENT
I consciously used the word “reliable” to state here that this solution
is workable anywhere and anytime. But let me start by explaining to us that “JOB
CREATION” as a suggestive measure to eradicate unemployment is the most
unfeasible ways of cushioning the effects of unemployment. No matter the number
of jobs that is created for however long, it still would not accommodate the
high rate of unemployment. This is because it has not disrupted the causes of
underemployment listed above. And not until the causes of underemployment are
eradicated and underemployment totally warded off, that we can begin to talk
about dwindling the effect of unemployment. The solution, which remain THE ONLY
solution to unemployment issue as it relates to Nigeria is thus
NOT SELF-EMPLOYMENT BUT
SELF-DISCOVERY FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT!
As we have seen on the early pages of this article, “self-employment” in
itself does cushion the effects of unemployment but rather it turns out to
encourage underdevelopment. Although I agree with the fact that self-employment
is a panacea to unemployment issue in Nigeria, but we must understand that it
must have a working procedure- a pre-process. And that SELF DISCOVERY!
Mark Emmanuel said that “the journey to greatness begins with the
knowledge of self!” self-employment must be preceded by a discovery of self.
One must discover what he/she can maximize his/her ability on before the
venture. It is self-employment on what is discovered that makes for adequate
functionality and profitability on both the individual and the job in question.
There is something each and everyone on earth knows best to do. Nigerians have
great potentials in them. The major challenge we face is the discovery and
maximization of these potentials to the benefits of our country Nigeria. Let
people begin a revolution for self-discovery, there and then self-employment
would truly become the only solution to Nigeria’s unemployment challenge.
IN CONCLUSION
I therefore conclude by saying that those who suggested self-employment
are very correct but the reliability of their suggestion lies on the preceding
factor, which is SELF-DISCOVERY. Only there and then can individual fully be
employed maximally.
This is why in SCENT OF WATER NIGERIA INSTITUTION; we encourage people
to seek for ways to better their lives through orientation, coaching, learning
for self-improvement.
