New book to address youth unemployment, entrepreneurship in Nigeria

Despite various programmes formulated to address youth unemployment in Nigeria, the impact has been limited, compared to the number of youths who are still unemployed.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with an estimated population of about 183 million people, over 50 percent of these are between the 15 to 34 age range and this demographic is living through increasing unemployment rates, according of data from the National Population Commission.

It therefore behoves on stakeholders concerned to bridge this huge gap by thinking out of the box to create some solutions youths in Nigeria can relate with, considering their cultures, peculiarities and their environmental upbringing.

This is why concerned Nigerian-born United States Professors, Chris Ehiobuche and Chizoba Madueke launched their new book, ‘Youth Entrepreneurship’ in a bid to explore effective solutions to youth unemployment and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.

Chizoba Madueke, the co-author of the book said what informed the launch of the book was the fact that most of the Nigeria’s youths remain unemployed after their university education, adding even those that get jobs, get menial jobs.

BusinessDay’s checks show that in the second quarter of 2016, the youth unemployment rate hit an alarming level of 24 percent from 21.50 percent in the first quarter the same year. These circumstances are currently submerged into a seemingly intractable economic recession.

“Our book is a step by step guard on how to start a business in Nigeria. Our approach is what we can do to start a business. People do not need to wait to get all the money to start a business. They can start by taking basic steps little by little at a time.

“Youth Entrepreneurship is about being self-sufficient, about getting resources from people, government offices, families and friends. The book also teaches how people can sell little things or gather money, instead of depending on someone. It is about getting out of being underemployed to becoming your own boss or and being financially secured,” Madueke added.

He explained that the approach of the book is not about criticism or trying to lecture. “We designed a step by step approach on how to start a business. People should begin to ask what they can do for their government. I was born an orphan, I should not be in United States or have a master’s degree but I have all that today because I sold bottle water that was how I raised money to travel out.”

On how to distribute the book to the right audience, Madueke said people have been employed to get the books into various schools and universities, adding that some vice chancellors have already been contacted to get the books sold in their schools.

Chris Ehiobuche, the co-author of the book said in an interview that his interest in launching the book in Nigeria is the need to see a generational transfer to the leaders of tomorrow.

“I am here to see to what extent we can contribute in rejuvenating our economy. I am looking at the Nigerian economy from the point of view of our inability to tap into our resources, which is a situation that has been there. We are good at analysing our problems but we are not so good in implementing those solutions.

He recalled that when his children came back to Nigeria for holidays, for the first time, they experienced power outage and immediately found out that their cousins were reading using the touch from their cell phones.

STEPHEN ONYEKWELU