Unemployment crisis: Nigeria without oil is the solution – Gov. Uduaghan

Amid the staggering unemployment challenge facing the nation, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State asked the authorities to look beyond oil for solution.

Uduaghan spoke against the backdrop of the deaths recorded, last week, during the recruitment into the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) which attracted nearly half a million applicants for less than 5,000 vacant slots.

Speaking yesterday at the award ceremony of the 2013 Vanguard Personality of Year Award

in Lagos, the governor said the deaths during the NIS job test could not have happened had the nation focused on several ways of generating jobs.

The award ceremony, which saw a high turnout of high society and held amidst pomp, had Vice-President Namadi Sambo as special guest 

of honour and former Governor Olusegun Osoba of Ogun State as chairman.

Uduaghan received the Vanguard Personality of the Year 2013, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the chairman of Dangote Group,  got the award of African Personality of the Year 2013 while Mr. Innocent Chukwuma, the Chairman of Innoson Group, was honoured as the Most Innovative Entrepreneur, 2013.

Speaking on behalf of the award recipients, the governor said:

“Two weeks ago, we had young ones who died looking for jobs. It was not apparent to many Nigerians the level of unemployment until that day. From stadium to stadium across the country, we had people gathered much more than those who go to watch football matches.

“What were they looking for? Looking for jobs. Our Delta Beyond Oil is to deal with what happened two weeks ago. We are encouraging people to create jobs so that our youths will not go and die in stadia looking for jobs. If we had enough jobs, what happened two weeks ago would not have happened and that is just is the summary of our Delta Beyond Oil.

“Creating jobs so that our youths will be engaged, so that our youths will be employed and I am happy that Mr. president is leading the way in the creation of jobs.

“So, I want to encourage our private investors to put their money into areas that will ensure that our young ones are employed. Our vision of Delta beyond oil is about employment of our youths, of our women, of our men. It is not a vision for today alone, it is a vision for today, it is a vision for tomorrow, it is a vision also for the future. So, I encourage all of you to also be part of this vision.”

Sambo, in his own address, praised the recipients, noting that it was remarkable that their efforts had been recognised by a reputable newspaper.