The Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has disclosed that the number of those that were unemployed had risen from 3.5 million in 2010 to about 21 million as of the last quarter of 2018 adding that it could be inferred that there were now 23 million people unemployed in Nigeria currently.
The National President of NACCIMA, Hajiya Saratu Aliyu, made this revelation at the convocation ceremony of the Model Skills Training Programme organised by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF).
She said NACCIMA and the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), have proffered solution to Nigeria’s spiralling unemployment rate on technical and vocational training.
She said the unemployment rate continued to rise just as businesses across the country suffered from a talent shortage.
“The dangers that unemployment brings to any country are well documented, the issues of insecurity and rising crime that face Nigeria are currently the focus of national discourse and is common knowledge.”
She said the creation of Model Skills Training Centres would help to provide the requisite skills currently needed to meet the expectations of the industrial sector.
In his remark, NECA Director-General, Dr Timothy Olawale, admonished 316 graduands that through the training, a solid foundation had been set for them by the ITF.
“Thousands of youth are being turned out by our institutions every year and hoping that a miracle will come so they can have a job,” he said.
Also, the Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Mr Joseph Ari, said skills acquisition remains the most viable and sustainable solution to combating the increasing unemployment and poverty in the country.
Ari said the unemployment situation in the country has defied various initiatives used by government and non-governmental organisations to fight it.
He announced the graduation of 316 persons from ITF Model Skills Training Centre (MSTC), adding that the programme was designed as part of efforts to generate sustainable solutions to rising unemployment and poverty as well as supply the manpower needs of the economy in line with the mandate of ITF.
