By Abah John Agbo
Graduate unemployment or underemployment is a sad reality of our contemporary Nigeria society.
Opinion moulders believes that, the menace of youth as well as graduate unemployment is not unconnected to population explosion, corruption, neglect of agricultural sector, mono-economy, over dependence on imported goods and absence of vocational training in most of our learning institutions.
To this end, efforts are on by policy makers, government agencies (NYSC), government ministries to eradicate and or reduce the scourge of unemployment among the youths.
Some of these efforts or programs includes but not limited to; the N-power programme, NYSC cum SAED, etc. All of which are targeted at making the youths to be self reliant as well as to become employers of labour as the case may be.
As noted earlier, skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) has not fail in this regard. SAED provides opportunities for graduates during and after NYSC camp, to be trained in their chosen skill.
The result have been magnificent, hence the new slogan for SAED, which is: corps members creating wealth.
The introduction of SAED is not only timely but also necessary as it has helped to empower thousands of Nigerian youths not only to be self-reliant but also to be employer of labour.
SAED provides opportunities for graduates to be trained in different skills which includes; tailoring, photography, ICT, agriculture, leather work, shoe making, baking, styling, solar power generation and among others.
Although Many youths undermined this great opportunities, but the interesting news is that, each of the aforementioned skills have produced at least fifty millionaires and multiple employers of labour.
Testimony abound across the thirty six States of the federation and the FCT of many youths whose fortune where turned around through the SAED programme.
Record has it that, the CEO Ostrich bakery Jalingo, Taraba state, proprietor Jetters academy Jalingo, Taraba state, founder Danny photos Jalingo, Taraba state, MD Ayomide fashion world, Otukpo, Benue state, CEO Ademola food markurdi, Benue state, CEO Oche tech computers Jos, Plateau state,
Founder elemark Nigeria limited Lafia, Nassarawa state, the CEO Eneh fashion and style Owoh, Ondo state, the MD Sule agro-allied Nigeria limited Minna, Niger state, MD skynet computers Ugbokolo, Benue state ( the list is endless) are beneficiaries of the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) programme.
Despite the high level of success recorded by the SAED programme, it is pertinent (observers opined) for government and relevant stakeholders to provide a start-up capital for those who genuinely participated in the SAED training during and after NYSC camp with a proven evidence of a skill, as start-up capital is the major impediment for youths to practice what they aquire from the SAED training or programme.
On the whole, there is no doubt at all that the skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development (SAED) is a game changer as it offer a ray of hope for Nigerian youths.