SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT IN URBAN CENTRES

SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT IN URBAN CENTRES

ABSTRACT

Graduate unemployment in Nigeria Urban Centres has reached an alarming proportion. This study therefore investigated the socio-economic effects of graduate unemployment in urban centres using Kogi State as a case study. It examined the socio-economic effects of graduate unemployment both on the individual and the society in general, with the view to finding solution to graduate unemployment which will be useful to both government and non-governmental organization. The data for the study was collected through the questionnaire method; the research also interviewed a few highly placed and widely experienced individuals whose valuable contributions enabled the researcher to grasp the tropical development of graduate unemployment in Nigeria since independence. These findings indicate that unemployment is a distasteful experience to the individual unemployed as well as a social problem to the society in general. There are also some economic cost of mass unemployment which include low productivity in the economy. It is not only a psychological blow to remain unemployed over a prolonged period but it may render the individual financially incapable to maintain him or herself and plan for the future. In view of these, it was recommended that effort should be harmonized in order to enhance political stability in the country, corrupt leadership should be discouraged and replaced with good and incorrupt governance both at the local and national level and there should be programme of urban rehabilitation and retaining of the employed.

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In Nigeria, a young graduate would move to any urban centre of his or her choice to seek employment because there are little or no job opportunities for them in most rural areas. People embark on higher education for two reasons.

To improve on their knowledge, character, intellectual and social ability
Secondly and often more obvious is to provide the individual with a source of livelihood.
In his book ‘’Ethics and Politics’’, Aristotle (1978) said that education should aim at self-fulfillment and self-realization and should bring out the best capacity and potential in every individual. He also believed that education should cater for the all round development of its recipient. Thus, education of an individual is beneficial to both the individual and the state. The unemployment issue in Kogi State has being a great concern to successive regimes because of many problem and effect it creates in the society and our social economic structure.

In Kogi State, like other developing states in the country, graduate unemployment is more than mere lack of job; it can mean lack of opportunity, lack of incentive, poor housing and poor health, loss of hope, instability and suicide, occultism, indifference and irresponsibility. It is therefore not purely a private of local concern but social, national and international problem. The unemployment problem in Kogi State like that of other developing states in the country, consists of surplus of some categories of workers particularly the unskilled and shortage of skilled high level manpower.

One important thing to note about graduate unemployment in Kogi State is the length of time for which graduates remain continuously unemployed. The gravity of the unemployment situation at any given time can be gauged partly by examining the duration of continuous unemployment and the higher the number of job seekers the longer the waiting period.

Despite this realization, unemployment in Kogi State as a social economic problem has suffered neglect from successive regimes. This as a result of the narrow perception of the evils associated with unemployment in Kogi State.

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SOCIO-ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT IN URBAN CENTRES