UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEMS AMONGST GRADUATE OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING.

ABSTRACT

In this research, it is assumed that unemployment is a factor inherent in the nation’s economic system, first because intentionally or unintentionally the policy-makers do not deliberately resort to measures capable of reducing unemployment to acceptable level.

This research is concerned with wags and means of denitrifying the causes and measures of curbing the problem created by unemployment. To do this, this research will specifically investigate the incidence of unemployment among graduates of institution of higher learning in Enugu urban and to determine what factors are responsible for or that affect unemployment.

Ten close and open ended questionnaire were administered to the respondents. The data generated from the questionnaires were subjected to statistical analysis. The result of the analysis included the following findings.

·                     That there is acute problem of graduate unemployment in Enugu urban.

·                     That our educational system has not been well planned as to produce professionals in all fields of human endeavour.

·                     That hoarding of jobs for undergraduate while the graduates are roaming the street could not solve the problem of unemployment

·                     That dislike to some graduate to work in rural areas is a factor to graduate unemployment.

·                     That government has not addressed itself to the problems of graduate unemployment.

Having established the fact that graduate unemployment in Enugu urban, it becomes pertinent at this time or juncture to map out some recommendations to curb the ugly trend.

1)                  Proper educational and development policies

2)                  Discouraging the employment of unqualified candidates for exiting jobs.

3)                  Establishment of more industries to absorb our graduates.

4)                  High priority should be assigned to the development of rural areas and

5)                  Finally, career counseling and skill oriented education are positive solutions towards solving graduate unemployment problem in Enugu urban.

CHAPTER ONE 

1.1              BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Nigeria is a country passing through multiple transition, form the period of colonialism to independence, from illiteracy to literacy, subsistence agriculture to monetary economy, rural life to urban cosmopolitan life, form the day of employment to the days of mass unemployment. The time and time again throughout the human history. Year after year in Nigeria, the increasing number of graduates joining the labour market keeping rising geometrically and any hope for them to secure jobs looks pessimistic. The tempo of economic development does not keep pace with the rate of educational advancement. That a developing country should suffer from surplus labour is hardly surprising, but generally, unemployment is one thing and graduate unemployment is another. Unemployment has in all it’s ramification come to stay with us sine the era of oil boom which has unfortunately turned to our doom.

According to Daily Star, June 30 1986, unemployment is descried as a situation where there are few jobs to go round the great number of people wiling to work”. Here, it could be both educated and uneducated people in the country. Graduates unemployment has became some of the basic economic social and political problems facing so many states in Nigeria recently. The graduates in this context are generally the school leavers from our post primary and higher schools of learning. This pitiable “labour forces” who are left redundant are ever ready to put in their best services in any kind of jobs, but would not be called upon to do so because of the situation in the country.

In Enugu metropolis, there hs been a persistent increase in the number of unemployed graduates of institutions of higher learning. It is a problem that has consistently forced itself on the minds of different people in different ages. It is time we redressed our mind sincerely to the issue of graduate unemployment. The past government officials in the state had failed to give an accurate employment figure of the labour force available and this has perpetuated to pose some dangerous threats to the socio-economic stability of the state than usual.

On this note, therefore, it becomes imperative to give a brief definition of unemployment. According to Nigeria Statesman May 28, 1986, “Unemployment connotes the scarcity of job both in public and private sectors”. Also according to Weekly Star, August, 17 1986 “unemployment is the state of being unemployed” it further describes a person as unemployed when despite his ability and willingness to work is jobless. It is worthwhile to mention that all mentally and physically incapacities people are excluded. The researcher intended to concretize her ideas on those employment resulting from an unusual rise in the number of jobless graduate. This may be traceable to mismanagement of productive resources, immobility of labour between jobs, economic crisis like oil doom etc. especially in our predominately capitalist economy.

Onsite unlike in the past, graduates of schools of higher learning now roam the streets and motor parks in search of non-existing job opportunities and this has created immeasurable number of social and economic problems in the states quo of the society. This problems therefore, is of staggering magnitude because idleness influences all our actions and designs. It corrupts the graduates and is the bane of the middle ages. This research is also intended to find out the root causes of the increasing number of unemployed graduates. 

It is also inteneded to study in detail the past effect by both the pesent and past governments to pave out the predicament. It is of paramount importance to stress that no other economic problem needed more immediate attention than finding job for the growing number of unemployed graduates.

In he light of this problems, the former Head of State and Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces General Sani Abacha in his 1st October, 1995 broadcast lifted the ban on employment. There is no doubt that the country has witnessed an upsurge in crime such as  drug addiction and sophisticated armed robberies while broken homes, malnutrition and many other social vices are on the increase too.

Other factors that contributed to this situation also remain an integral part of this research. Such factors include the expansion of the existing schools and establishment of new schools without a collateral increase in industries to absorb produced graduates, the behaviour of graduate themselves towards jobs like farming construction of roads, bridges, school taxi cars and also the over-dependence of a mono-export-oriented economy etc. the efforts of the previous government in areas of infusion of skill-orientation in educational scheme will be scrutinized in order to have a balanced analysis.  Did the government evolves stringent measures aimed at eradicating problem of unemployment in the state or did they apply the myopic machineries which appealed to policy makers because of case or execution? 

The answer to this question with relevance to the historical background of Enugu urban requires meticulous evaluation in order to find a lasting solution.