The 1993 Presidential Aspirant under the defunct National Republic Convention (NRC), Alhaji Lema Jibril said Nigeria’s unemployment rate is deadlier than coronavirus.
He stated this during the opening ceremony of maiden Kaduna Polytechnic Out-of-School Youths Skills Acquisition programme in the state.
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The elder statesman also frowned at the rate of unemployment in the country, saying more than 60 per cent of the population are unemployed.
“Unemployment rate in Nigeria is unfortunately over 60 per cent. This is more dangerous and deadlier than COVID-19 pandemic, Boko Haram and banditry put together.
“Nigeria ought not to have any business with unemployment because we have the skills and natural resources.
“So, this skills acquisition for youths and out of school children is the way to go,” he said.
According to him, if the country fails to equip the youths with skills education, the recent #EndSARS protest will be a child’s play to restiveness that will be experienced in Nigeria.
He further commended the Kaduna Polytechnic for the initiative of training Out-of-School children, youths and asked government at all levels, to take up the initiative.
Kaduna Polytechnic Rector, Professor Idris Bugaje, said 70 out of school children drawn from the Polytechnic’s neighboring communities will be trained in different skills including carpentry, welding and plumbing among others.
He added that the solution to addressing out of school and unemployment in Nigeria is to give youths and the out of school children skills.
Professor Bugaje also called for partnership from state government and other organizations with the Polytechnic to replicate the skills training across Northern states, expressing confidence that, such will address menace of street begging.
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