By Ibrahim Yakubu
The National President, Foundation For the Protection of Women and Children Nigeria, Ramatu Tijjani has called for the introduction of entrepreneurship education into the country’s school curriculum to reduce unemployment among the teeming youth.
Ms. Ramatu who was speaking at a community sports competition in Kaduna to mark this year’s World International Youth Day said the event was to encourage youth’s participation in sporting activities.
She said Entrepreneurship education would benefit students from all the socio-economic backgrounds to be self-reliant through their innovating creative thinking.
Education of Entrepreneurship, she explained, would not only create opportunities, but ensures social justice, instils confidence and stimulates the economy as well as providing golden opportunities for the young ones to discover their Gifts and talents at a very young age.
“Believed me or not Entrepreneurship education is the best option and Solution which both federal and state governments should use in tackling the rising Youth Unemployment, poverty, and insecurity challenges due to lack of job.
“Through education thousands of Nigerian Youth might likely become more self-reliant and creative, like the rest of the youth in the developed world.
“The best way to reduce rising unemployment problems is to train youth from both cities and rural areas on the importance of embracing entrepreneurship skills to enable them become more innovative through their creative world”
But it must also be noted that Youth unemployment problem would not be solved by entrepreneurship unless through an active role by government and private sector to support entrepreneurial education. Youth self-employment policies must be embraced by the broader context of the country’s economic policy
Ramatu who is also a specialist on conflict prevention & Crime stressed that Entrepreneurship education is a lifelong learning process, starting as early as elementary school and progressing through all levels of education, including adult education.
According to her, introducing young kids to entrepreneurship develops their initiative and that could help them to become more creative and self-confident in whatever they undertake.
”To become self-reliant requires a conscious effort of replacing an “I need help” attitude with an “I can do it myself” attitude. And the best part of becoming self-reliant is that it rewards you along the way. As you achieve even a small portion of it, you feel really good about yourself.”
“Youth unemployment is potentially dangerous as it sends disturbing signals to all segments of social political, economic development of a country like Nigeria and other neighbouring countries
“One of the greatest challenges facing the Nigerian economy is unemployment, which has maintained a rising trend over the years and all these problems duly need to be addressed in order to reduce the rising tension of youth that are fully involved in various crimes
To mitigate the situation, she said, Youth creativeness and entrepreneurial skills needed to be encouraged by established private organizations and government institutions across 36 states of Nigeria
She also suggested that wealthy individuals and corporate organization need to support youth with creative mind,
In his contribution, Pastor Yohana Buru, the National President Peace Revival and Reconciliation Foundations of Nigeria was also of the opinion that teaching entrepreneurship skills at schools, places of worship, social gathering would reduce idleness and the quest for white-collar job in the Society.
Mr Samson john from civil society group, says, “this is the best way to wipe-out unemployment that bordering millions of jobless youth in the country,
He also added that, the entrepreneurship education should be taken to rural areas and meet youth that abandoned schooling, to enlightened them on the importance of self –reliance
“Additionally, developing self-reliance is what leads to independence and independence is at the core of liberty. Liberty and self-reliance are so closely intertwined that a nation whose citizens lose their self-reliance will eventually lose their liberty — a sad truth we are witnessing today,” he said.
One of the youths residing at Unguwan Dosa Kaduna, say he graduated since 2010 and was still looking for job, but couldn’t find any,
He stressed the need for religious leaders, traditional title holders, corporate bodies NGOs and CIVIL society organizations to counsel the youth to embrace Entrepreneurship