Monarch Wants Measures To Check Youth Unemployment

Paramount Ruler of Betem Community in Khana Local Government Area of Rivers State, Mene Peter Alobari, has called for measures to be taken to curb the menace of rising unemployment among youths in Nigeria.
Speaking with journalists, yesterday in Betem, Alobari said job creation policies and programs must anticipate future labour market requirements rather than reacting to it.
He said: “In co-ordinating implementation of strategies to fast-track employment creation, we must bear in mind that such strategies are not likely to be successful if it anticipates future labour market required, rather than reacting to them”.
In his words, “We have to move away from past approaches where strategies for employment creation and poverty alleviation were a response to a crisis or a temporary measure to mitigate the impact”.
Alobari noted that unemployment is a global challenge, adding that Nigeria like other nations needs to take proactive measures towards curbing the menace.
He said that the concern is even more urgent due to the link between youth idleness and perennial violent crimes in the different parts of the country which poses a threat to socio-economic stability.
Alobari said the task before the government is formidable even as he expressed confidence in the ability of the leaders to come up with the solution that will in the medium and long term reverse the current alarming trend of unemployment.
According to him: “The task before the Nigerian leaders is formidable. “However, with the caliber of persons in governance, which is made up of renowned experts, practitioners and policy makers in the field of development and employment promotion, I have no doubt in my mind that they have what it takes to proffer solutions that will ultimately halt and in the medium and long-term reserve the current unemployment situation in Nigeria”.
The ruler further said that unemployment and poverty are critical challenges that require concerted efforts of all stakeholders to tackle.
He emphasised that it was in a bid to holistically address the unemployment crisis that the National Employment Policy was formulated with the aim of consolidating into an integrated and coherent document, a beacon for the attainment of full employment for all Nigerians, especially the youths.

By: Bethel Toby