Address Unemployment Through Agriculture, OPS Urges Govt

• Address Unemployment Through Agriculture, OPS Urges Govt

The Organised Private Sector has advised the Federal Government to exploit agriculture, entertainment, creative arts, technology solutions, e-commerce and other productive sectors to tame the rising rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria.

Besides, the OPS attributed the youth unemployment in the country to social and economic issues that needed full support of all tiers of government and the private sector to address.

Its position was made known during the opening ceremony of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2017 Mentoring Programme.

In her opening remarks during the event, the President, LCCI, Dr. Nike Akande, said that the growing unemployment rate in the country was worrisome for the chamber, adding that one of the associated challenges in countries with high population growth was rising youth unemployment.

She noted that figures from the National Bureau of Statistics indicated that unemployment was highest among Nigerian youths, saying that the figure was by far higher than the average unemployment rate of 29.8 per cent at third quarter of 2016.

According to her, the mentoring programme was aimed at supporting government initiatives towards reducing unemployment rate in the country.

She suggested that the federal and state governments should come up with policies that would help to make the youths employers of labour, adding that the youths needed the full support of the government to turn commercial ideas into marketable business.

“Government should aid the chamber in empowering more youths to get engaged in viable sectors like agriculture, entertainment, creative arts, technology solutions, e-commerce and other productive sectors,” she stated.