Dr. Kamorudeen Adebayo Yusuff on Wednesday said graduate unemployment in Nigeria has reached an alarming state that requires urgent attention by stakeholders.
The entrepreneurship expert also advised the federal government to create enabling environment for youths to operate vocational businesses for speed development of the country.
Adebayo who is a Chief Lecturer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Ibadan, the Oyo state stated this in the 13th edition of the inaugural lecture of the institution held at the conference centre, North Campus of the institution on Wednesday.
According to the former Dean, faculty of Engineering, the inclusion of vocational training at undergraduate level to acquire skill in any trade of their interest and passion is a welcome development.
“Graduate unemployment in Nigeria has reached an alarming state that requires urgent attention. Vocational training programme at undergraduate level to acquire skill in any trade of their interest and passion is a welcome development in the right direction.
“Businesses that thrive well in each locality should be encouraged in schools and efforts to focus on the mineral exploration and exploitation in different states should be given more attention. Nigeria is an agricultural nation and the practice of agropreneurship should be given priority.
“Government should encourage and develop the agriculture based industries in rural areas so that the rural candidates don’t migrate to urban areas. More employment should be generated in rural areas for the seasonally unemployed people.
“The approach will also discourage rural-urban migration among our youths. Technopreneurship support initiatives should be embraced in the country. Technopreneurship parks should be established in each state which will reflect their natural endowment and skills of citizens in that geographical area.
“Promotion of technology based business and empowerment of technopreneurship, establishment of entrepreneurs, establishment of entrepreneurship development institutions, development of entrepreneurship courses, skill development programmes, cluster, industrial parks business development centres, establishment of SME linkage programmes, technology incubator, and establishment of effective financial support to SMEs.
“Government should allow more foreign companies to open their branches/units in Nigeria especially in the areas where we don’t have the technological know how, so that more employment opportunities could be generated.”
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