The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association has charged Federal Government and other stakeholders on the urgent need to find a lasting solution to the worsening unemployment in the country.
The NECA President, Mr. Taiwo Adeniyi, disclosed this at the 2021 graduation ceremony of the second batch of ITF-NECA technical skills development project trainees in Lagos yesterday.
He said that the challenge of unemployment, job creation and skills for jobs to become a reality for more people is accentuated as population increases and more youths leave schools.
“Youth employment remains one of the defining challenges of our time. Addressing youth employment means finding possible solutions to young people who are seeking a decent and productive job or are discouraged by the current labour market prospects”
He said, “Such solutions should address both labour supply (through education, skills development and training) and labour demand through job creation and an enabling environment for entrepreneurship,” he stated.
Adeniyi recalled that Nigeria is the seventh most populated country in the world with an estimated population of 211.4 million people.
He stated that Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa with a youthful population of age 0-35 years at 43 per cent.