Unemployment: If Buhari Govt Is Going To Fulfill Promises

During the pre-election period one of the key focuses of the All Progressives Congress was tackling high level of unemployment among the youths.

Interestingly, both the presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, and his running mate, Yemi Osinbajo, were quite specific about the number of positions to be created for unemployed Nigerians. It is worth recalling, however, that the figures were contradictory.

For example, in a Christmas statement the APC reportedly pledged “to create 3 million new jobs a year through public works programmes and by shifting the economy towards value-added production will be our primary economic target.”

Later on Professor Osinbajo said they would create 720,000 jobs in APC’s first year.

The controversy generated multiple reactions, as it was not clear if it would be 720,000 first year and 3mln starting from the second year. Some said the party seniors lacked the credible programme and accused them of lying to Nigerians. The others blamed the situation on the busy schedule and intensity of media activities.

Now, after the general elections and the successful inauguration of the new leadership, President Buhari does not backtrack on his statements about doing everything possible to ensure employment possibilities for the youth.

Muhammadu Buhari an Yemi Osinbajo

The country leader yesterday spoke at the event organized to mark the 2015 World Youth Day. President Buhari reiterated his commitment to eliminating the problem. The politician referred to the statistics saying that the African continent is getting younger, that his administration will go by the plan adopted by African leaders at the Malabo 2011 Summit.

“Some of you may recall that African leaders, at the Malabo 2011 Summit, committed themselves to providing employment, whether directly or indirectly, for at least 3% of its unemployed young people every year.”

Naij.com is taking 720,000 jobs as an initial promise and compares it with the calculation referred to in the yesterday’s speech

Let us see what these 3% stand for in Nigeria.

Based on the information available on IEconomics website, which provides relevant statistical data for the countries all over the world, in the third quarter of 2014, the percentage of unemployed Nigerians corresponded 9.7%, with the country population, according to the July 2014 statistics, totalling 178,516,904 people. Based on the 2014 calculation, the number of people set to be provided with jobs within 2014-2015 period (according to the Malabo 2011 Summit plan referred to yesterday) should roughly correspond at least 519,484 people.

Back to our times,

Number of jobs promised before the elections – 720,000 annually;

Number of jobs stipulated by the Malabo summit, to which Buhari referred to yesterday,- at least 519,484 annually.

Therefore, it can be concluded that as for now, Buhari’s administration does not contradict itself in its statements, considering the changeability of statistical variables. Approximately, it means that 519,484 newj obs is the minimum expected. Hopefully, the acting government will manage to reach the 720,000 target.