I CAN HEAR THE BUGLE, CAN YOU?
DECEMBER 2014
Late last week, in a meeting with a top government official of
NYSC, she intimated my team as follow...
"Just before I concluded my NYSC in 1983, I had three job
offers from three different international organisations. I told each company I
was going to need a week after NYSC to rest and think about their offer, before
deciding to pick up any of the offers. However, in present day Nigeria,
(silence) graduates including my own son have to create their own jobs. The Government is trying to get
graduates prepared for that..."
After
our meeting, my deductions were:
The Government is fully aware of the alarming rate of
unemployment, hence, they are setting up programs and initiatives to
'institutionalize' a Nationwide "job seeker to entrepreneur" paradigm
shift, targeted especially at the youths.
Please note that...
1. The compulsory introduction of entrepreneurship into the
curriculum of all Tertiary Institutions,
2. The creation of the Department of Skill Acquisition and
Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) in the NYSC scheme, and,
3. The introduction of the "YouWin" grant for
enterprising Nigerian youths between 18 - 45 years should serve as a WAKE-UP
CALL to all undergrads, graduates and youths in general that the times have
changed.
Job seekers and intending ones should come to terms with the
fact that trudging the streets in search of scarcely available jobs may not be
the way to go.
It is time for the radical DEVELOPMENT and COMMERCIALIZATION of
our knowledge, talents, skills and education e.t.c.
Selah!