ADOLESCENT UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA

ADOLESCENT UNEMPLOYMENT IN NIGERIA

Adolescence (from Latin: adolescere meaning "to grow up") is a transitional stage of physical and psychological human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood (age of majority). The period of adolescence is most closely associated with the teenage years, although its physical, psychological and cultural expressions can begin earlier and end later. For example, although puberty has been historically associated with the onset of adolescent development, it now typically begins prior to the teenage years and there has been a normative shift of it occurring in preadolescence, particularly in females (see early and precocious puberty). Physical growth, as distinct from puberty (particularly in males), and cognitive development generally seen in adolescence, can also extend into the early twenties. Thus chronological age provides only a rough marker of adolescence, and scholars have found it difficult to agree upon a precise definition of adolescence. A thorough understanding of adolescence in society depends on information from various perspectives, most importantly from the areas of psychology, biology, history, sociology, education, and anthropology. Within all of these perspectives, adolescence is viewed as a transitional period between childhood and adulthood whose cultural purpose is the preparation of children for adult roles.

Unemployment (or joblessness), occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks. The unemployment rate is a measure of the prevalence of unemployment and it is calculated as a percentage by dividing the number of unemployed individuals by all individuals currently in the labor force. During periods of recession, an economy usually experiences a relatively high unemployment rate. In a 2011 news story,  Business Week reported, "More than 200 million people globally are out of work, a record high, as almost two-thirds of advanced economies and half of developing countries are experiencing a slowdown in employment growth".

In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal. In economy, corruption is payment for services or material which the recipient is not due, under law. This may be called bribery, kickback, or, in the Middle East, baksheesh. In government it is when an elected representative makes decisions that are influenced by vested interest rather than their own personal or party ideological beliefs.

Unemployed individuals are unable to earn money to meet financial obligations. Failure to pay mortgage payments or to pay rent may lead to homelessness through foreclosure or eviction. Across the United States the growing ranks of people made homeless in the foreclosure crisis are generating tent cities. Unemployment increases susceptibility to malnutrition, illness, mental stress, and loss of self-esteem, leading to depression. According to a study published in Social Indicator Research, even those who tend to be optimistic find it difficult to look on the bright side of things when unemployed. Using interviews and data from German participants aged 16 to 94 – including individuals coping with the stresses of real life and not just a volunteering student population – the researchers determined that even optimists struggled with being unemployed.

Frequently in philosophical discussions, corruption takes the form of contrasting a pure spiritual form with a corrupted manifestation in the physical world. Many philosophers, in fact, have regarded the physical world as inevitably corrupt (Plato being the most famous example of this school of thought). The Book of Genesis 6:12 similarly describes a world before the flood where 'everyone on earth was corrupt'

Social vices include any immoral activities which are likely to become involved in any profitable venture or activity, like prostitution, gambling, pornography, Drugs etc.

INTRODUCTION
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the eight most populous country in the world with a population of 154, 729,000 citizens. Our nominal GDP is $207. 116 billion and we have a nominal per capita income of $1,4011. Nigeria also has the second largest economy in Africa . If I may ask, is this country not blessed? Yet, it is still plagued by adolescents unemployment which had been one of our major problems in recent years. Both government and the private sector had discussed this issue at forums and conferences but have not found a solution to it. Its continued existence had been linked to lack of power supply and financial empowerment for adolescent. Adolescent unemployment in Nigeria is mostly referred to as graduate unemployment and this means that only the skilled adolescents are seen as unemployed while the unskilled adolescents are not given any consideration. However, adolescents are not a homogeneous group and their employment prospects differ according to numerous factors ranging from region to gender to schooling. I write this paper,   there are thousands of adolescents in Nigeria that are unemployed and it is as if there won’t be a solution to this problem.
THE EFFECTS OF ADOLESCENT UNEMPLOYMENT ON NIGERIA
Various crimes and social vices in Nigeria had been on the increase since mid – 1990s2 and they include prostitution, internet scam, political violence, kidnapping, militancy (in the Niger Delta), drug trafficking, armed robbery etc. The continued existence of these vices has been linked to the scarcity of jobs in Nigeria .
 Prostitution, for instance, rose during the mid – 1990s with female Nigerian adolescents being trafficked to Italy.3 Internet scam had also been on the increase in recent years. Political violence, kidnapping and other vices had also been increasing recently.
These vices have a negative effect on the country because they have been the fear of most foreign investors and they are also giving the country a bad...  They get involved in crime, juvenile delinquencies, cultism, indecent partying and other social vices. I see a future where the agility of Nigerian adolescents would become effective productive resources to develop a Nigeria which shall be a desirable country for all to live in.
In this essay, I discuss the effects of adolescent unemployment on the average man in a local community and on the security of the entire nation. I then identify the foundational causes of adolescent unemployment in Nigeria, and proffer adolescent-led solutions which I am convinced if implemented will set the pace for other countries.
I propose a progressive foundation: “Life Investors Foundation” whose aim is to invest in lives to reap the profits later by training adolescents who will become world-class sought for employable graduates. The methodology to be employed is to capture adolescents at the early stages of reaching an employable age (15 to 24). They include young school leavers and undergraduates, who will be initiated into the work field early, helping them to gain enough experience and knowledge of the value systems and principles of the work environment and learn the skills needed for effective productivity before completing their...

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr. Lamido Sanusi, has said that Nigerian adolescent are being negatively affected by the impact of dislocation in the economy as a result of the adverse effects of corruption.

Sanusi, who spoke on the topic: “Sustaining the war against corruption: The role of the adolescent,” at King’s College, Lagos 101st Founder’s Day lecture on Monday, said the decadence in the society as a result of the high prevalence of corruption.

“They have been negatively affected in all facets of life, from education to health care and recreation. The fundamentals of our civil society appear to be collapsing as the adolescent come of age and their future is increasingly threatened by corruption.

“Clearly, the adolescent have everything to lose if the present situation in the country continues unabated.

The Minister of Education, Sam Egwu, while addressing the recent convocation ceremony of Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, assured the millions of unemployed and poor adolescent lacking employability skills that technical education

would enjoy more government support in 2010 because of the role of technology in national development. Such a pronouncement is not new in Nigeria.

Previous administrations have raised the people’s hope by painting glowing pictures of their development plans and defined the linkages between technological capability and national development. They also swore that adolescent empowerment would become the government’s top priority yet successive administrations

have refused to properly fund education and failed to prepare the adolescent for the world of work and to create employment for the millions of graduates churn out by the educational institutions yearly. This paper calls for the leaders to move away from rhetoric to action and tackle the challenges facing education, particularly technological development and create employment for the horde of unemployed

adolescent. Without addressing the challenges facing technical and vocational education the adolescent will continue to face soaring unemployment and poverty and the nation will remain underdeveloped.