Nigerian Unemployed graduates to receive N19k monthly allowance (National conference committee)

 



 

 

I remember a particular phone conversation I had with my cousin who had travelled to Belgium and schooled there. At this time I think she might have been living there for about 5years. And I also remember that I asked her a question as to how their work structure over there was and their Government intervention and support for its citizens, and her response was, "Belgium is not Nigeria yeh, here the Government pays the citizen at least well enough to get by even if you are too lazy to work....."

In affirmation, I told her I had heard about other countries with such Government interventions at least I knew about countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Libya, etc. But I also remember saying "I hope Nigeria grows to adopt that someday"
 

Now a committee at the on-going National Conference is suggesting...for all unemployed graduates in Nigeria to earn a monthly allowance equivalent to the allowance of members of the National Youth Service Corps, which is N19,800.

According to Punch news, the conference’s Committee on Law, Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Reform made the recommendation but it can only fall through if it's accepted by the Federal Government.

A member of the committee said the recommendation was one of the ways the committee members felt that crime could be reduced in the country. He told Punch;

 

"The recommendation is our own way of finding solutions to the rising wave of crime in the country and to also force the government to do the needful for the increasing number of unemployed graduates in the country. We have done our part and it is left for the delegates to either reject or accept it at plenary"

 

As nice and enticing as this may sound, I personally think that a solid structure has to be put in place first, not only will it never be fair on Youth Corp members if the proposal was adopted and their allowance stayed the same, but for a country which has struggled with the issue of increasing minimum wages it may just seem like a utopic view.

Also a solid data base of the youth has to be put up and systematically updated to allow for transparency. Again, with National figures having been faulted in the past, in terms of census due to all the difficulties and factors associated with a third world country like Nigeria, coupled with its complex geographical structure and ethnic background, getting a complete figure on the number of graduates qualified for such schemes may pose a challenge.

 In fact the solid ground work or platform has to be well laid for continuity and so much more..... May be these are just my own views.
 

 But the Federal Government have the power to accept or decline, even though I know what the obvious response will be like, what do you think?