After graduation, What next?

By Bayo Fasunwon
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The harvest season is here. This time around, it is not the harvest of farm products or honey. It is the harvest of graduates from all the tertiary institutions in Nigeria. In almost all the tertiary institutions, all the final year students have either finished or rounding off their final examinations. Given the rigours, starvation and academic stress they went through, one is not surprised that many had rolled out the drums to celebrate the end of their studies.

It is a worthy celebration for the students, parents and the institutions. It is a signal that all stakeholders have measured a bit of success. However, in the eyes of most of these ‘graduating students’ is hopeful despair. The thousands are probably going to queue up with the several thousand that have gone ahead of them.

Unemployment still remains the bane of Nigeria youths. The various levels of government do not seem to have any program on ground that would harvest these young and fresh brains and put them to productive engagements to their benefit and the development of the nation as hole. Apart from the National Youth Service, which these fresh brains would mandatory gain a level of under employment, the trained heads would be left to do a lot of job hunting and developmental skill acquisition on their own.

The Nigeria government seems to pride itself in the perception that they have trained swimmers in laboratories, and are therefore competent to swim in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, where they would either float or sink. Thus many of these youths would eventually be lost to other nations, depression, crime and if lucky, under employment. Instead of being role models to the young ones, they become a mockery. A mockery in that the young would not see the essence of industrious academic labour when their elders have nothing to show for it; and the uneducated bear rule over the educated.

My concern today is on what the nation can do for its teeming brand new enthusiastic graduates. The Ministry saddled with the responsibility of caring for the youths ought to have a workable program for these youths. In the first instance, the various tertiary institutions ought to have, or should, have mentally prepared these students for the inevitable day of leaving the academic environment.

Several seminars and workshops ought to have being organized for them on how to use their knowledge and skills for a better life that they deserve. In most tertiary institutions, the entrepreneurship studies have left the realm of practicals to theoretical teachings. Hence these students have been made to study to pass, rather than being tutored to know and to do.

The various tertiary institutions should sign memorandum of understanding with various job providers who would visit these young Nigerians and seek absorb some of the fresh graduates as interns or employees. The various institutions should also have a database of these Nigerians that could be uploaded on their websites stating their skills, knowledge and availability for employment. Given the global nature of labour demands, this gesture could go a long way in reducing the burden of unemployment.

On the part of the various levels of government, the expectation is twofold. In the first instance, it is expected that government should have a yearly program of absorbing some specific number of graduates into the Civil Service. This is possible as it is a known fact that retirement occurs every year in the service.

The governments can specify the criteria for benefitting from this commitment and ensure that it is done. Furthermore, the various governments could identify all those who are interested in Agriculture and related vocations and give them slots in the various farm settlements. In addition to this, skills acquisition centres should be set up so that those who have interest could enroll, get trained and prepared for a life of self employment.

These should also be partronised by government when their type of services is needed.  Patronising them would boost their morale, and encourage others to enroll in the scheme. The NYSC scheme can also be restructured such that Corps members can use three months of the scheme to acquire trade skills and use the other months to serve in their primary place of assignments.

On the part of the new graduates, it is imperative to know that the days of free money is over. There is therefore the need for them to renew their mind and prepare it for a life of self discovery. The years of learning in the tertiary institution has been somewhat regimented, and determined by the demands of their course of study. However, the years of sojourn should have opened their eyes to their strengths and weaknesses and therefore the subconscious areas of strength.

These are the areas that must be explored, developed and employed for their survival and relevance in the society. While their areas of study were based on a school curriculum, they should know that the basic skill they have developed is the ability to think through. Therefore, it is expected for them to sit down and think through how to face and surmount the challenges ahead. It is also expected of them to realize that white collar jobs may not be readily available. In this wise, it would be in their interest to exterminate their aversions to these types of jobs and prepare to apply their fingers to the work of nature.

Furthermore, the best time for them to learn a skill is now. Even amongst the uneducated the apathy towards learning trade is very high. Nigeria needs plumbers, electricians, software developers, and phone and computer technicians, music makers.  The good thing is that anyone can learn these trades and be self sufficient. Our young graduates should also seek this opportunity and maximize them.

Finally the NDE must avail these young graduates the opportunity of registration with the Directorate. This will create a pool of available workers who can be called at short notices for any job opening. All in all, as graduates celebrate the conclusion of their school examinations, they must be aware that a tougher examination awaits them after school, and they cannot afford to fail.