TUE, MAY 1 2018-theG&BJournal-An NOIPOlls survey conducted in January in commemoration of Worker’s Day, reveals job creation (39 percent) as the top priority on citizens’ list of what government should focus on in 2018.
The survey report say that this is no surprise as unemployment has been one of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian economy and this has also snowballed into other socio-economic issues such as poverty and insecurity amongst others. Moreover the issue of unemployment has maintained an upward rising trend over the years.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s unemployment rate rose from 14.2 percent in Q4, 2016 to 18.8 percent in Q4, 2017. Not to mention youth unemployment rate in Nigeria which increased to 33.10 percent in the third quarter of 2017 from 29.50 percent in the second quarter of 2017.
The survey showed that 33 percent Nigerians, in revealing their aspirations for 2018, indicated that they would love to start up a new business or expand their businesses for those who already have businesses, further buttressing the high rate of unemployment in the country. The result also portrayed that some Nigerians are either not employed or are not satisfied with their present state of employment as 19 percent disclosed that their goal for 2018 is getting a job or to have a change of job.
Reflection on workers welfare especially in the area of minimum wage, NOIPolls notes the important role this plays in incomes among families at the bottom of the income distribution as well as the poverty rate.
A poll conducted on workers welfare in 2011 poll showed that Nigerians believed that the minimum wage of ₦18,000 naira was inadequate hence they clamoured for an upward review to ₦56,000 naira. Seven years following the outcry of Nigerians though the opinion poll on minimum wage, it still stands at ₦18,000 in 2018.
According to the survey report, while government is working towards a new minimum wage, it is important for an urgent implementation of necessary steps towards improving workers welfare in Nigeria. In line with this, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, during a dinner and award night organised to mark the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) 40th Anniversary celebration held in Abuja in March, 2018, stated that the Federal Government is committed to ensuring that the new National Minimum Wage meets the present economic realities.
The survey report concludes that it is pertinent for government to address issues pertaining to job creation, minimum wage and welfare of Nigerian workers.
‘’An important line of action the government needs to adopt in creating jobs through an enabling environment would be to address Nigeria’s infrastructure issue; especially in the area of adequate power supply as this would naturally incentivise the spring of more SMEs and attract more foreign investors.’’
NOIPolls reckoned that this will in turn lead to more employments opportunities in the country.
‘’Another critical line of action which needs to be considered is the revival of the agricultural sector with an emphasis on improving the image of agriculture in Nigeria to attract youth participation; employing greater use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT); partnership with the private sector; easy access to land and credit in order to generally make agriculture more lucrative. These would go a long way in tackling the issue of unemployment especially for the Nigerian youths as well as create opportunities for multiple streams of income even for the employed.’’
