A recent World Bank report has suggested that Nigeria’s next political leaders, especially its elected leaders at the federal level, have their work cut out for them in the area of employment.
In its Nigeria Development Update (December 2022): Nigeria’s Choice report, the bank said that 80 million Nigerians would not have a full-time job by 2030 if the country fails to address its high unemployment rates.
It also said that 23 million more Nigerians would still live in extreme poverty during the same period except if the government acted fast.
The World Bank further stated that creating better jobs is a necessary condition if the nation wants to reduce poverty and increase economic transformation.
Recall that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently reported in its 2022 Multidimensional Poverty Index survey that 63 percent of persons living within Nigeria (133 million people) are multidimensionally poor; with the World Bank reporting that most poverty in Nigeria is in-work poverty.
According to the bank, having any job does not guarantee a way out of poverty as employment in the agriculture sector is far more prevalent among those that are poor.
This means that if 80 million more Nigerians become unemployed, it automatically adds to the already growing poverty figure in the country.
Political candidates’ commitment
Data from the NBS unemployment statistics for 2022 shows that unemployment rate is currently at 33 percent.
With all of these concerns, Nigerians deserve to know what economic plans the political candidates clamouring for votes in 2023 have for the country.
Are the economic promises made in their manifestos enough commitment to make citizens vote them into power?
The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, has met with the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), promising to replicate what he did for Lagos State economy if elected.
He said his antecedent as a former Lagos State governor, during which he powered the state to the fifth largest economy in Africa, speaks for him.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has promised to set aside ten billion dollars to create employment and boost small and medium-scale enterprises to help employment drive for youths and women in the country.
He promised to ensure that unemployed youths were catered for in the micro, small and medium enterprises to empower them and to make sure that they are gainfully employed.
As for the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, he pledged to create jobs for youths to lift them off poverty and deprivation.
With the glaring problems facing the nation’s economy, Nigerians deserve a leader who will be committed to reducing the problem of unemployment.
Political candidates are hereby advised to take seriously the prediction of the World Bank and suggest practical solutions to tackle the problem, and not just make theoretically or politically correct statements.
Photo source: Channels TV
