Unemployment can be emotionally taxing, especially for the younger generation, who are eager to get things done and have lots of energy. As time goes by without any luck, a range of emotions, including a sense of purposelessness, insecurity, worry, impatience, bitterness, melancholy, rage, and even depression, run through the mind. These emotions, which are often referred to as the “unemployment blues,” manifest as anxiety, fatigue, a lack of focus, insomnia, restlessness, feelings of loneliness, and boredom, and can all extend into mental health problems and disorders.
In Nigeria, youth unemployment continues to rise. At least one in three Nigerian youths are unemployed. This gives a better understanding of the severity of out youths’ idleness and the danger it poses. The National Bureau of Statistics estimates that the current rate of youth unemployment is 42.5%.
Youth unemployment in our country plague our youth with despair and desperation, which fosters a climate that is conducive to crime. It comes as no surprise that the nation has experienced considerable negative social, economic, and political developments, as best demonstrated by rising militancy, violent crimes, kidnapping, unrest, and political instability.
Corruption, nepotism, a lack of industries, an excessive population, older workers who refuse to retire, underdevelopment, insufficient government investment, unflattering government priorities, and under-skilled youths are among the main causes of youth unemployment in Nigeria.
It is important to establish and effectively implement public and private intervention programs that are specifically focused on alleviating the economic deprivation of our youth.
We reminisce over the successes of our first WeNaija intervention scheme in 2021. We had about a hundreds of youths in Nigeria take up our challenge to tell creative stories using their camera lenses. It is gratifying to hear one of the contest’s semi-finalists say that the competition gave his family hope of success in Photography. He is building a career with it as support from family and friends grows.
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