By ADAMU MUHD USMAN
Every year, August 12 is set aside as ‘International Youth Day’ Jigawa youths should not be exceptional to celebrate, jubilate or express their horrible conditions they are experiencing especially at this material time when hope to better up their lives seems to be lost.
According to 2023 population census pre-test Jigawa has about seven million people, out of these number, youth in Jigawa constitute 50% of the population and 90% of the youth population is currently underemployed and unemployed is equally not contestable and those who are employed the wages they earned cannot at all sustain them.
Every youth has the right to good life, qualitative education, good health, right of expression and the right to job opportunity (employment) among others, but yet in the society, youths die due to lack or poor health care delivery, starvation, youth roam the streets in search of livelihood and employment with a hope for the future. I don’t know what this government has planned or is planning to assist the large segment of unemployed youths in this state. Mind you not empowerment though, even the empowerment is another avenue to reduce unemployment but it is also not accessible (in place).
If people do not have work, they do not make any money, thus high rate of unemployment lead to hunger, diseases, crime and chromic poverty. According to survey conducted by UNICEF, it shows that about 71% of Nigerians lives below poverty line. The poor are made up to 36% who are the core poor and 35% who are moderately poor. 29% are not poor.
The number of people who are wealthy enough not to feel the pinch of the hardship is only about 3% of the population, a negligible number in a country of over 200 million.
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Most disturbing is the frustrating of poverty and unemployment in most Jigawans is the negligence of abundance resources (potentials) which if utilized it will make all northerners if not Nigerians happy but on the contrary.
We hope and pray in Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s administration farmers in the state will enjoy the maximum support in crop production, including the use of mechanized farming system in order to encourage, fishing and support livestock farming which will go along the way to halt or reduce farmers/herdsmen clashes (conflict) in the state and the APC-led government at the top should do something at the moment to ensure that moribund industries such as the textiles and manufacturing industries (in Kano and Kaduna) that have provided jobs for millions of Nigerians are revived. The issue of reviving the production and export of agricultural produce like ground nuts, cotton and cocoa that had hitherto sustained the economy should be revisited with the view of creating employment for the youth especially in Jigawa State whereby production of rice, wheat, onions, beans and other agricultural products are boosted thought the encouragement and support by government as the way how fertilizer was recently subsidized by Malam’s administration in state.
The present situation whereby so many youths are unemployed gives miscreants the opportunity to recruit them to perpetrate dastardly acts that have been on the increase of late in the country. The insecurity activities in the country especially in the North is perpetrated by youth, most of them unemployed.
We hope to have less youths on the streets and other places more in schools and other employed. The Jigawa youth will aspire to be responsible citizens. We will shun or say no to drug abuse, fraud, corruption and other social vices. We say no to militancy, laziness and political thugs. We will be law abiding, committed and we promised to be great leaders of tomorrow. If youths continue to commit suicide or die due to frustration, deprivation, and negligence and alike, who will take the mantle of leadership of the state and the country, Nigeria?
At the point in time, the youth should be reminded that their stage (youthful age) is the most critical period in a person’s life is his youthful years. These are years or times that he or she is still energetic and full of vigour.
Youthful age is the period that determines the remaining period of his or her life when he or she does not have the strength to strive and struggle again if a youth use this opportunity to do the right things by challenging him or herself to what is correct, meaningful and useful to himself, his family, his community, his country and to humanity in general. Jigawa of my dreams.
May God help us and guide us aright. Amen.
*Adamu writes from Kafin-Hausa, Jigawa State via: [email protected]
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