The Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has warned that Nigeria is living on a time bomb if the issue of youth unemployment is not addressed amidst the growing population explosion in the country.
He lamented that the youth were increasingly being lured into criminal activities.
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Bawa, who was represented by the Director of Research, Department of Policy, Planning and Research, Mr Abiodun Adebanji, spoke on Tuesday in Kano at the opening session of a two-day conference, organised by the Centre for Economic, Social and Population Research (CESPOR), Bayero University Kano.
He said, “There is a relationship between youths’ unproductivity and their condition. More than 50 per cent of our population is the youth, and there is a projection that by 2050, it will grow even bigger.
“But, if nothing is done to make these youths productive, it will portend danger, especially if there are no jobs readily available for them.”
Bawa said the agency secured 2,220 convictions in 2021, lamenting that most of the culprits were the youth.
At the event, the Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, represented by his Chief of Staff, Abba Yola, said youths centred programs were the focus of the administration, especially with the signing of ‘Not Too Young to Run’ bill among others.
Earlier, the vice-chancellor of BUK, Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, said the university recently employed 120 students for its students on campus scheme, with each being paid N15,000 monthly as well as the establishment of skills acquisition centre.
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