‘Rising unemployment, poor educational standards may jeopardise vision 2020 agenda’

ICSAN identifies impediments to realisation of vision 2020

Indications have emerged that the increasing unemployment rate in the country is a major threat to the vision 2020 agenda of the Federal Government.

Speaking at a public lecture organised by the Institute of Charted Secretaries and Administration of Nigeria (ICSAN) recently, participants said with over 20 million youths presently jobless, the nation needs good corporate governance to be able to meet the requirements for the agenda.

A fellow and board member, society for corporate governance, Professor Fabian Ajogwu, said over nine million youths are out of school, which may lead to rise in global unemployment and middle-skilled workers by 2020.

He also noted that more than 100 million Nigerians are presently living in abject poverty earning less than £1 per day.

Lamenting the incidence of poverty in the north, he said Nigeria has current population of 168 million, adding that the children of the poor are likely to become poorer due to widening gap in access to basic amenities of life.
He said: “This has led to an increased rate of poverty, unemployment and particularly insecurity in recent times.

“Statistics reveal that households headed by parent without any education had 68.7 percent poverty; household headed by those without primary education recorded 48.7percent those with secondary education recorded 44.3 percent and those with post-secondary education, 26 percent, which all this has negative implications on the economy”.

The theme for the forum was ‘Nigeria vision 2020 and a challenging economic situation: Is a good governance a panacea?”

According to Fabian, the event is coming at the right time, adding that the country is faced with challenges that makes the fear of the reality of the vission 2020 looks unreal.

As a result of global unemployment trends and projection, Fabian said the unemployment as at 2016 stands at 200 millions with a probability of reducing to 190 millions by 2018.

He said: “To reduce the rate of unemployment Nigeria would have to compete with nations like United states, Japan, Germany, China, and United Kingdom, which have traditionally maintained the top five ranking of the international Monetary Fund (IMF)”.

He added, “In achieving vision 2020 Nigerian has to be ready to face the challenges squarely and be ready to give all it entails”.

Citing the roles of government, he said there is needs to provide enabling environment to encourage private sector and aid the employment of the teeming youth population and pursue project that have direct bearing on the masses such as provision of constant power supply, good road networks, adequate infrastructural development and development of agricultural sector.

Also speaking at the event, the president of ICSAN, Nat Ofo, said the year 20-20 is only four years around the corner, adding that Nigerian is expected to join the top 20 economies in the world.

A skilled transformation change manger with over 20 years experience, Niyi Yusuf said in order to achieve the vision 2020, there is need for transparency in government, pointing out that good governance, recongination of well behave leaders should be put in place.