Tag: Empowering Nigerian Youths

Without essential skills, a person who has attained the age of employment does not necessarily mean they are employable.

© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

Continued from Part 1

At the end of a cycle of beneficiaries, a percentage of the income generated by the CCDC is given to the graduating participants to go start off their own small scale trade, while the remaining amount is recycled back into the center.  

For an illustration with a single community: CCDC A could be focused on fish farming. CCDC B could be focused on Catering services and CCDC C could be focused on poultry.

The productive effect of this concept can be appreciated using CCDC A which is focused on fish farming. It will recruit the local youths of employable age for a cycle of perhaps 4/5 months. We could assume that the center can produce 20 tons of fish and engage 60 youths of employable age within this period. Another important assumption is that the center is managed by competent personnel who have a diligent and professional approach on the job.     

The gains to the beneficiaries, the community, and continuity of the center are briefly highlighted below.

1. One-off direct transfer of the knowledge of fish farming to the beneficiaries and a residual transfer of this knowledge to the immediate member of the community by graduating beneficiaries when they leave the center.
2. Provide the end product in surplus quantity to the community. The CCDC has a minimum annual productive capacity of 40 tons.   
3. Reduce the unit price of fish in the community.
4. Provide financial empowerment for an annual graduating minimum number of 120 beneficiaries with a realistic opportunity of self employment at the end of their program.
5. Provide employment opportunity and income revenue for the workforce required to drive different areas of the CCDC .
6. Promote within the community, the residual growth of a variety of retail small scale business opportunities revolving around the product (fresh fish resellers, smoked fish resellers, roast fish resellers, cold rooms etc)
7. Provide income for the CCDC which can be recycled into sustaining the productive continuity of the concept.
8. Redirect the potentially resourceful mind of the youthful majority away from the current negative consequence of idleness to the creative subject of fish production and improvements.
9. Create a sense of belonging within the mind of the youthful majority as an integral part of national development and reduce the restive consequence of feeling neglected by the empowered class of the population.
10. Open a trade gateway with other communities as a one-stop-shop fish center.

Closing Remarks

The advantages highlighted above, makes a strong case for the CCDC as a viable and realistic solution which can contribute a considerable measure of relief to the currently unemployed youthful majority of our nation. It is a concept which can find useful application for the educated and uneducated persons of this population group.

A sincere commitment on the part of all essential key players would productively engage the massive strength of our idle and restive youthful majority who are currently engaged in all manner of social vices within the society ranging through drug abuse, prostitution, thuggery, gambling, kidnapping, thefts, rumor mongering, rioting, etc.

Hopefully, the content of this summary post may stir our thoughts on the gains of the CCDC as one of the several effective ways to productively engage our youths of employable age in Nigeria.  

Arise O Compatriots…

© 2019 – Nigerian Patriot.  All Rights reserved

The knowledge of any skill diligently acquired can never be forgotten in a person’s lifetime.

© 2019 Nigerian Patriot

Problem Overview

Through the decades, there has always been an outcry on the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria. Presently, this outcry seems to be at its loudest and rightly so. The youths of Nigeria whose age group constitutes the highest segment of the unemployed population are groaning under the pains of joblessness. Several attempts have been made by previous regimes at changing the unfortunate tide of unemployment in Nigeria with very little success. The story is no different with the present government. Massive funds have been committed into various empowerment schemes, and financial aid programs however, the prospect of any significant positive change in the employment opportunities of the country is not yet in sight. This summary blog episode is designed to highlight a different approach as the first step of a thought which may assist with providing improved results toward our collective quest at creating more employment opportunities in our nation.

First of all, we need to be mindful of the reality of certain foundation factors before delving into any discussion on possible solutions. 

1. There is no government system on earth that can solely bear the financial burden of providing jobs for all its citizens of employable age or even half of this population. The progressive nations of the world have not yet pulled off this impossible feat, so it would not be wise for us to expect anything different in Nigeria. The optimal availability of employment opportunities in any nation is a healthy balance of government and private driven effort. 
2. It is one thing to build establishments that can provide jobs for people, however if the workforce employed cannot effectively manage the business due to a deficiency of the required skill set and(or) diligent professional attitude, the outfit would definitely crumble sooner or later. Any sound mind would term the entire venture a massive waste of money and time. Perhaps, this factor may have contributed to the death of various business establishments that provided jobs in the past in our country. These establishments included government owned companies, as well as privately owned foreign and local business initiatives.
3. The educational system in any country must be robust enough to produce graduates who have the basic practical skill set and in-depth knowledge required to administer any position of employment which they may subscribe to after school. If the educational system is below acceptable industry standards, this will in turn translate into the poor productivity of any business project that employs such graduates as staff. We are all aware of the poor state of our educational system so it would be most unfair for us to feign ignorance on the negative impact of this important factor on the ability of our youths at engaging gainful employment.
4. The government of any nation bears the responsibility of providing the enabling environment for businesses to thrive. An enabling environment can be achieved by the provision of constant power, good roads, adequate security, etc. Unlike the progressive nations of the world, previous and present governments in Nigeria have mostly failed to deliver on this key area that would encourage the proliferation of viable businesses across the landscape of our nation and improve employment opportunities for the massive idle population of employment age. Sustaining an enabling environment also requires the cooperation of the citizens; however this factor is not the focus of this post.

With the valid points of the section above in view, and with the mind boggling peculiarities of our current national circumstance in this regard, there is an urgent need to redirect the potentially resourceful mind of the youthful majority away from the current consequences of vices arising from idleness. The recommendation of this document which could assist us with achieving a positive difference is the establishment of Controlled Community Development Centers (CCDC).

Controlled Community Development Centers

A CCDC is a free empowerment concept which is designed to practically impart a specific skill, and financially empower a beneficiary at the end of their program with the center. The CCDC will also earn income for itself at the end of each cycle of graduating enrolled beneficiaries. It is termed a controlled environment because an enabling environment is created within the center for the business to thrive. Some of these enabling factors have been highlighted previously as the provision of adequate power, security, running water and other specifics which will encourage the business concept to prosper and deliver intended results.

Each community development center would be dedicated to a single skill area to make it easier for the resources deployed in each center to focus on achieving the positive goals of the establishment. Beneficiaries are not required to pay any fees to enroll into the center, so funding is recommended from benevolent entities which should involve the government and other private organizations.

Continued in part 2

© 2019 – Nigerian Patriot.  All Rights reserved