By Victory O. Akpomedaye

Ever wondered why many Nigerian Youth today still belong to the age of engaging in hook and crook means to make a living which they consider very fast.

I think the government deserves an “accolade” for bringing us to a life of uncertainty owing to rate of unemployment that keeps rising on yearly basis, howbeit it is expedient to know that our future is now, but that of our unborn generation is certainly in our own hands now and what we do today is a key determinant of how glow or bleak the future will be for them.

With great skills inherent in the Nigerian Youth in art and craft, science and technology, agribusiness and innovations, Sport  and movie to mention just a few, coupled with physical strength, Nigerian Youth should not be caught in the web of engaging in illicit financial flow and being chased by anti-graft agencies but unfortunately, that seems to be the order of the day.

There is no gain saying that there exists no enabling environment to push through, but it is certainly not an opportunity for excuse to engage in a source of wealth that one cannot be proud of and cannot be passed to the unborn generation. A good name is better that silver and gold, an African Proverb will say.

However, it is pertinent to know that there exists opportunities yet untapped in Nigeria today.

Agribusiness in our age is now made easy with the value chain ranging from production, processing, storage, transport, marketing, export business and agro-consultancy coupled with  endless demand for it.

Opportunities abound for Youth in this sector ranging from cassava farming, poultry farming, rice farming, Snail Farming, Pig farming just to mention but a few even without fully engaging in the dirty part of it if one does not want to.

All the aforementioned has a value chain that one can engage in with little or no capital only if one is hardworking and really ready to make a living for oneself.

It should be noteworthy to understand that everyone is gifted with one skill or the other, but it is unfortunate that most youth are not aware of this and the few that knows this are not really making use of it, now it is understandable why someone could study a five year course and end up doing something else that was naturally imbibed in him/her.

Suffice to say that if one can harness one’s skill perfectly, with hardwork, consistency and dedication, the sky is the starting point as the financial flow will remain endless as long as one lives on planet earth.

Science and Technology is now the order of the day, with its tech advantage and the ability to belong to the global village without hassle.

However, it is mind blowing to know that only a minute percentage of the efficiency of the technology is harnessed for youth development.

With thousands of positive apps, today with many still yet to be created, the chances of being engaged is quite huge with just a smart phone that almost every Nigerian Youth has but only explore the fantasies of facebook, Whatsapp and Selfie Pictures which might not be income generating but time consuming.

According to Femi Balogun, Monitoring, Evaluation & Research Specialist at Jobberman Nigeria, stated that the increase in technology adoption in businesses will see an estimated 46% of work activities in Nigeria susceptible to automation according to the World Economic Forum.

He added that COVID-19 is accelerating the development of digital businesses and simultaneously changing the landscape of the jobs market for young people. 

A closer look at the digital sector reveals an overwhelming skills gap based on competencies assessed in three sub-sectors – Software Development, Digital Analysis and Network, and Cybersecurity.

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Within the Software Development cluster, for instance, findings indicate that 73% of jobseekers rate their proficiency at a beginners level across skills such as computer programming, cloud infrastructure, UI/UX, web design, mobile development and design thinking.

A similar pattern exists within the competencies assessed in the Digital Analysis and Network Cybersecurity clusters.

Across the three clusters, there is a demand gap for positions such as Security Engineering, Data Science, Cyber Security and Security Architecture with a demand scale ranging between 10% and 45%.

What however comes to mind is how ready is Nigeria’s booming youth population to take on these new digital job roles considering the emergence of a digital revolution.

Entrepreneurship has crafty found its way among hard working and goal oriented youth but some still sees it as capital intensive, risk – oriented and time consuming.

But it is expedient to note that it is not what it really seems according to personal experience but has given one fulfilment of passion, experienced in calculated risk taking and ability to be a boss, irrespective of how small or big the business is.

Without being sceptical, it is noteworthy that if the inherent opportunities are duly and fully harnessed by the Nigerian Youth as there is now no excuse to be successful and achieve one’s dream, many challenges of the Youth will be solved as idleness and sharp practices will not be found among us. Consequently, Nigeria will be a better place to live.