An industrialist and 1993 presidential aspirant under defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Lema Jubril, has called for measures to tackle unemployment in Nigeria, noting that the scourge is deadlier than Covid-19, Boko Haram and banditry combined.
Addressing the opening ceremony of the maiden Kaduna Polytechnic Out-of-School youths skills acquisition programme on Thursday, Dr Lema Jubril, who lamented that the rate of unemployment in Nigeria is more than 60% of the population, said that with Nigeria’s rising unemployment rate, the recent #EndSARS protests, which turned violent leading to killings and destruction of properties, would be a child’s play.
According to Chairman/CEO of Lemaco Industries, “Unemployment rate in Nigeria is unfortunately over 60 per cent. This is more dangerous and deadlier than Covid-19 pandemic, Boko Haram and banditry put together. Nigeria ought not to have any business with unemployment because we have the skills and natural resources.
“So, this skills acquisition for youths and out of school children is the way to go, if we fail to equip our youths with skills education, the recent #EndSARS protest will be a child’s play to restiveness that will be experienced in Nigeria.”
The industrialist however commended the Kaduna Polytechnic for the initiative of training Out-of-School children, youths and asked government at all levels, to take up the initiative.
Rector of Kaduna Polytechnic, Professor Idris Bugaje, said the 70 out of school children drawn from the Polytechnic’s neighboring communities will be trained in different skills including carpentry, welding and plumbing among others.
He said that, the most viable solution to addressing out of school and unemployment in Nigeria is to give youths and the out of school children skills
Professor Bugaje however called for partnership from state government and other organisations with the Polytechnic to replicate the skills training across Northern states.
He said the beneficiaries of the skills acquisition programme will be given starter packs at the end of the training.
