Every year, August 12 is set aside as ‘International Youth Day’ Jigawa youth should not be exceptional to celebrate, jubilate or express their horrible conditions they are experiencing especially at this crucial or material time when hope to better up their lives seems to be lost.
According to 2023 population census pre-test Jigawa has about seven million people, out of these number, youth in Jigawa constitute 50% of the population and 90% of the youth population is currently under employed and unemployment is equally not contestable and those who are employed, the wages they earned cannot at all sustain them.
Every youth has the right to good life, quality education, good health, right of expression and the right to job opportunity (employment) among others, but yet in the society, youths die due to lack or poor health care delivery, starvation. Youth roam the streets in search of livelihood and employment with a hope for the future. I don’t know what this government has planned or is planning to assist the large segment of unemployed youths in this state. Mind you, not empowerment though, even the empowerment is another avenue to reduce unemployment but it is also not accessible (in place).
If people do not have work, they do not make any money, thus, high unemployment lead to huger, diseases, crime and chromic poverty. According to survey conducted by UNICEF, it shows that about 71% of Nigerians live below poverty line. The poor are made up to 36% who are the core poor and 35% who are moderately poor. 29% are not poor.
The number of people who are wealthy enough not to feel the pinch of the hardship is only about 3% of the population, a negligible number in a country of over 200 million.
Most disturbing is the frustration of poverty and unemployment in most Jigawans due to the negligence of abundance resources (potentials) which if utilized it will make all northerners if not Nigerians happy but on the contrary.
We hope and pray that during governor Malam Umar Namadi’s administration, farmers in the state will enjoy the maximum support in crop production, including the use of mechanized farming system in order to encourage, fishing and support livestock farming which will go along way to halt or reduce farmers/Herdsmen clashes (conflict) in the state and the APC led government at the top should do something at the moment to ensure that moribund industries such as the textiles and manufacturing industries (in Kano and Kaduna) that have provided jobs for millions of Nigerians are revived.
The issue of reviving the production and export of agricultural produce like ground nuts, cotton and cocoa that had hitherto sustained the economy should be revisited with the view of creating employment for the youth especially in Jigawa state whereby production of rice, wheat, onions, beans and other agricultural products are boosted through the encouragement and support by government like the way fertilizer was recently subsidized by Malam’s administration in state.
The present situation whereby so many youth are unemployed gives miscreants the opportunity to recruit them to perpetrate dastardly acts that have been on the increase of late in the country. The insecurity in the country especially in the north is perpetrated by youth as most of them are unemployed.
We hope to have less youth on the streets and other places more in schools and other employed. The Jigawa youth will aspire to be responsible citizens. We will shun or say no to drug abuse, fraud, corruption and other social vices. We say no to militancy, laziness and political thugs. We will be law abiding, committed and we promised to be great leaders of tomorrow. If youth continue to commit suicide or die due to frustration, deprivation, and negligence and the like, who will take the mantle of leadership of the state and the country, Nigeria
At the point in time, the youth should be reminded that their stage (youthful age) is the most critical period. In a person’s life, his youthful years are years or times that he or she is still energetic and full of vigour.
Youthful age is the period that determines the remaining period of his or her life when he or she does not have the strength to strive and struggle again. If a youth use this opportunity to do the right things by challenging himself or herself to what is correct, meaningful and useful to himself, his family, his community, his country and to humanity in general, Jigawa of our dreams would be realised
May God help us and guide us aright. Amen.
Adamu writes from Kafin-Hausa Jigawa state. amu3333@yahoo.com
