The Nigerian labour market is responding with silence to the influx of fresh graduates from universities, polytechnics, and colleges every year. This has led to a situation where job security, especially for young people, has become almost mythical. The private sector, which is supposed to be the saviour, has impossible conditions such as requiring five or six years of experience, making it difficult for young graduates to get hired.
The government is often blamed for this situation, and rightly so, as a state that cannot productively absorb its youth is sowing the seeds of long-term instability. Government jobs, which should ideally serve as a stabilising force, offer no refuge either, with age limits of 25, 30, or 35 being rigidly enforced. This has led to a situation where graduates who have been searching for work for several years are often disqualified from being hired due to their age.
The Not Too Young to Run Bill, signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari, symbolised inclusion, youth participation, and generational renewal, but it has not translated to economic opportunity. Youth may now be more visible in politics, but they are largely absent from the tables of employment. Jobs are still distributed through networks, connections, patronage, or outright payments, rather than merit.
The ministry of education must answer why vocational education has been reduced to rhetoric rather than strategy. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been called upon to address the issue of youth unemployment, which cannot remain a footnote in national policy.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu faces a critical challenge in addressing the issue of youth unemployment, which has become a major concern in Nigeria. The fact that graduates are often required to have five or six years of experience to get hired is a major obstacle to their employment. This situation is further complicated by the age limits enforced by government jobs, which disqualify many graduates from being hired. The government must prioritize creating opportunities for young people to gain experience and skills, rather than just relying on rhetoric about vocational education and entrepreneurship.
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