Agric, vocational skills to accelerate employment in Nigeria – Ohuabunwa

As Nigeria grapples with high rate of unemployment, occasioned by dwindling economy, Sam Ohuabunwa, an industrialist, has advised government to invest more in agriculture to diversify the country’s economy and create the needed jobs for the people.

Ohuabunwa, in his contribution at the Abia Economic Summit, which held in Aba recently, urged Government to mechanise agriculture and make it more attractive to youths, as well as sensitise the organised private sector to invest more in agriculture.

According to Ohuabunwa, agriculture is an area we can get people employed and it is an area government can play a role, but beyond government playing a role, they can also sensitise the private sector to put more investments in agriculture.

He urged government to provide vocational tools to either create jobs or support existing entrepreneurs to be more productive in their existing businesses, stressing that vocational and business management skills are critical to job creation.

He expressed happiness that things are changing in the curriculum of schools and advised that all schools in the country, should begin to teach management and employment skills in their institutions.

He also urged Government to support entrepreneurship by establishing industrial estates and incubation centres to help people with business ideas, but who cannot afford to buy land and build structures to rent such facilities at subsidised rates to incubate their businesses.

In his words, “Supporting entrepreneurship is not necessarily giving money. Government can intervene either directly or indirectly in partnerships with the organised private sector, to create opportunities for incubation, so that young people can incubate their businesses.

“Also the existing entrepreneurs can be helped to expand their productions and facilities, so that more people can be employed. And it is a very critical matter.

“If I was a minister of employment, or minister of Industry or commerce, I’m not going to spend my time so much in the office, on a Monday morning; I’ll visit firms to know how their businesses are doing, their turn over the previous year and number of employees. I will also ask them what they would want Government to do for them to double their turnover.

“There should be a contract between Government and the people, so it is not just to ask Government do something, the private sector also should commit to do something. So, when government does something to improve business, the private sector will also be responsible. That is what can accelerate jobs”.