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On the issue of unemployment and the deplorable state of degree holders in Nigeria, There is an article currently making the waves, the article is centered around the importance of entrepreneurship as a the solution to the current unemployment problem facing our graduates, the topic received the needed widespread and attention due to the
unprecedented rate of unemployment in her dear nation Nigeria.
The proponent and sharer of this particular topic are those genuinely concerned about this abnormally and the current state of the Nigerian youth, as a means of curtailing the damage already done by the incessant rise in unemployment rate.
Although the notion comes with good intention by the writer and promoters like, as a result of their patriotic zeal and the quest to find an end or lasting solution to the major problem besieging her country and precisely the youths, but to my utmost dismay, the notion portray the acquisition of degree as a complete wasteful adventure, which add little or no value to the live of graduates.
Acquiring a formal education I.e degree certificate shouldn’t be seen as the cause of the idleness and lack of employment amidst the youth, demonizing formal education will cause more problem than what it intended solving.
The major problem and cause of lack of employment can be link to our educational system, where most of our graduates do pass through school system but sadly the school couldn’t pass through them as a popular saying, the focus in our major institutions this days is not on knowledge acquisition but majorly on certification, our institutions
mostly teaches our student how to pass examination but not on how to solve real life problem.
The students nor the lecturers couldn’t be blamed for this because the environment is not conducive for research and learning, the key players in the educational sectors do neglect the sector and enrol their children in the best institutions abroad, hence they are less concerned about the rot in the system, the incessant strike actions coupled with the fire brigade approach is what really triggers the ‘_la cram la pour approach_’ where students only read to pass exam but not fully understanding the main concept in these courses hence the motive of education is thereby defeated. We are fully aware of this problem and those behind the misfortune but that’s sadly not the bone of contention here.
Its degrading and at the same time damaging to the upcoming generation regarding degree acquisition as nothing but a useless and a time wasting adventure, the generation already labeled as lazy now sees this as opportunity of not going to school at all or actually dropping out.
Instead of tagging our various degrees as useless , the gospel should be for our students to change their ideology on education i.e focusing less on certification but knowledge acquisition.
Education is very paramount aspect of this present generation, education is the reason why most of the commenter on this topic are able to reason rationally and also to reach their individual logical conclusions, but sadly education is not what we see it as in Nigeria, we see education as a process to just obtain a certificate and thereafter use the certificate to seek for employment and which is totally not.
I will use myself as an undergraduate and also my course of study as a practical example or case study.
As a banking and finance undergraduate, I should not expect to graduate and seek non existing employment in one of the Nigeria banks, the focus should be on how I can use my knowledge of banking to change and create opportunity in my environment.
1. I should maximize My knowledge of the banking industry in aspect of bank credit and loan arrangement, international finance, agric finance etc to help my personal business.
My knowledge of finance should help me in my investment appraisal and portfolio management.
My knowledge of accounting can also be channeled to my personal business for proper resources management and business survival.
My borrowed knowledge from sociology and psychology should assist me in dealing with people in my immediate and business environment.
My knowledge of economics should enable me understand how the micro and macro economy works.
And so also my knowledge in statistics,entrepreneurship, management,law etc should be for problem solving and identifying opportunities in my environment and not just for seeking employment.
And that’s the mentality needed by the Nigerian undergraduate to succeed in the turbulent Nigerian environment. Graduate of various field can channel the knowledge acquired in their various degrees to solve societal problems, thereby creating employment but sadly that’s not the case in Nigeria, we only believe in certification.
In conclusion, what we need is change of orientation and not preaching against degrees and education in totality, the disadvantage is huge and will impact greatly on this lazy generation. Formal education and degree acquisition is still the key to succeed in this our present society, only what we need to change is our approach i.e to see education as the ends itself and not the means to an end.
– Lamidi Sherifdeen Toluwase
08163421402.
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