By Kirsten Okenwa
Are Nigerian youths employable? Are their job expectations realistic? Here are some stories employers and clients have told me over the years:
“Some colleagues of mine visiting Nigeria for the first time needed to change their reading spectacles and I took them to a popular optician’s outlet. My colleagues were quite impressed with the price range of the spectacles which was cheaper in Nigeria than in their country. They quickly placed orders for three glasses worth almost half a million naira. But, there was a challenge to this transaction; the poor customer relations at the shop. This huge business had staffed its outlet with proud, uncooperative young graduates. The staff found it hard to be friendly and communicative to customers. At some point, they point blank refused to provide an extra service which would have boosted their sales. If not for the pressing need for these spectacles, my colleagues would have walked away and that business lose close to half a million naira due to poor staffing.”
“I was approached by my church member who had an indigent relation in need of a job. The man was desperate for assistance and I decided to give his ward a try at my shop. Located in a busy plaza, my shop was a good place where this young lady could be busy, learn teamwork and make some little money as well. On interviewing her, she came off as proud and selfish. Though she answered questions correctly and her brief work experience was passable even though she hadn’t gone beyond secondary school, I was under the impression she would be difficult to work with. I told her that part of her duties would be to sweep and clean the two rooms of the shop. She responded by saying that she couldn’t; that she wasn’t asked to sweep and clean in her former places of work therefore she shouldn’t be asked to do that at my shop. I was taken aback because, with my degrees and status, I still clean the floor, dust inventory, wash my shop windows and had done that when I was someone’s employee. Some people may say she was right in asserting her stance but I think that when you need a job, you humble yourself, no matter what.”
“Nigerian youths wish for the moon. That is just that. They want employers to give them everything but have they brought anything to the table? Most times, no. I opened a hotel and asked a young friend to help me recruit a baker, preferably a youth. One laughable incident was when he brought a young man in his late twenties who recounted the numerous baking feats he had achieved in his short career. After the interview, the advice I was given by my young “friend” who brought the baker was that while the baker worked for me, I was to give this baker free access to a dozen meat pies per day so that he would not be tempted to steal. At that time, a dozen meat pies cost N5,000; now multiply it by 6 days in a week. This perk was apart from his monthly salary! I laughed really hard and told both of them to go open their own bakery.”
Nkem operates a convince store with several outlets in Abuja. She has on several occasions discovered items hidden in obscure parts of the shop. Still, the most dramatic discovery was a tin of Danish Butter cookies with a broken seal tucked behind some items on the shelf. She brought out the tin, opened it and discovered that the contents were half gone. Turning to her salesgirl, she inquired what happened. The young lady simply responded that she used the cookies to break her fast!
Barr. Juliet Isi Ikhayere, lawyer and youth leaderADC 2023 Candidate, House of Representatives, AMAC/Bwari constituency, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recounts her experience.
“My experience with looking for people to engage in the food chain production of fish was a bit difficult in the mid part of 2022 until 2023 when I gave up searching for employees.
“The issues surrounding the quest were a lack of interest in hard work. Also, some felt it was condescending getting involved in the roasting of fishes and plantain. Lastly, some felt they wouldn’t tie down their evenings for such a venture.
“I understood the zeal and need for young people to explore and so I gave up the quest and resorted to just focus on breeding the fishes and drying them after a certain form of maturity.
“I also formulated a principle to inform anyone who reaches out for free funds by asking if such a person can engage in the food processing part of the fishes and like the usual response goes; “Barrister it’s not my passion” and all similar responses.
“My candid advice to young people is — whatever pays you that is legal, never relent to put in all the efforts. It is all a process.”
Stories like these abound on the incredible, and unreasonable demands made by some youths before or while they are employed. But there are also several success stories of resilient and enterprising young Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their workplaces, no matter how low the employment or enterprise may be.
I have been wanting to write this article on youth unemployment in Nigeria but was held back because I didn’t want to be misunderstood. I didn’t want my words to be judged in the same category as that of former president Muhammadu Buhari, who in April 2018, went viral on the internet for comments he made on some Nigerian youths during a panel appearance with world leaders at the Commonwealth Business Forum in London. President Buhari had criticized the attitude of some Nigerian youth, saying, “More than 60 percent of the population is below 30, a lot of them haven’t been to school and they are claiming that Nigeria is an oil producing country, therefore, they should sit and do nothing, and get housing, healthcare, education free.”
I’m going to throw my hat in this boxing ring; this prolonged debate between Nigerian employers and youth employees. This article is in two parts; I will join some employers who cry that Nigerian youths are not employable. I have started by sharing stories of some Nigerian youths who think they are entitled to the good things of life and all must kowtow to their demands. Such youths have to understand that they cannot just sit and wish for the moon. I am also going to show how the government can help its young people in the area of education, skill acquisition and gainful employment.
As we stood at the balcony overlooking the courtyard at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja, my friend Ashvee on a week’s visit from Mauritius commented on a striking generational gap he observed in Nigeria. He said it was very obvious the high percentage of young people. I heartily agreed with him. Although accurate census data may be required, past studies have shown that Nigeria has the largest population of youth in the world and a median age of 18.1 years.
About 70% of the population is under 30, and 42% is under the age of 15. Looking at other data showing the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria, one cannot help but think that with the right guidance and opportunities, the energy and talent of our young people can make a significant contribution to the development of our nation.
Kirsten Okenwa is a freelance writer with over 20 years of experience in several non-profit organizations. Trained as an industrial chemist, Kirsten is also an expert in food systems and the agricultural sector and runs a growing manufacturing venture. Outside work, she loves to share songs and her poetry with kids in schools and hospitals.
