How unemployment became threat to the National Security
By Adamu Abdulkarim
Unemployment is the condition of one who is capable of working actively seeking work, but unable to fine any work. Also unemployment is the state of being without any work to earn a living.
Most of the people that unemployment affected in are young people within the age of 18-40, Some of them were not been able to go to school due to financial problem, while on the other hand unemployment heavily affected the educated youth that have certificate at hand but have no job to do or have no capital to establish or start business to earn a living.
When the rate of unemployment rises in an inverse proportion to Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it may lead to various Socio-economic ussues such as crime and terrorism which could result to the security threat in country.
In Nigeria, unemployment rate had increased to 47.6 per cent in 2022 and will further rise to 40.6 Per cent, due to the continuing inflow of job seekers in the job market.
The million of Nigerian Youth today that have no work to do can easily be persuaded by the criminals in society to join them in their criminal activities like kidnaping, Banditry and Stealing of Public Property.
A survey Conducted by the BBC shows that thousands of Nigerians that lost their job as the results of Land border closure by Federal Government of Nigeria Joined banditry and kidnaping in some of the border communities like Katsina, Sokoto and Borno States. As they have no any other alternative to engage in to earn their living.
Another negetive impact of unemployment is, when young person stay idle, there is high possibilities of him/her to think of negetive issues that can be so negetive to toward the society. This could result to either Online or Offline Frauds. There for Government should emphasis more on reducing the rate of unemployment especialy among youth in other to tackle and avoid insecurity challenges in Nigeria in general. However, Government and Non-Governmental Organisation should also put more effort on training people on skill for self-reliance programs and help them by giving them start-up capital.
Doing that can greatly help in tackling security challenges in Nigeria. It’s possible for Nigeria to be a Crime Free Country if 80-90 per cent of its unemployed citizen will be employed or joined labour market. That can be achieved if Government promote agricultural activities and processing companies or industries in Nigeria.
Finally Government at all levels should subsidise Education of both basic and tertiary level so that Young please can have access to school. Doing that can greatly help in reducing unemployment rate.
Adamu Abdulkarim, writes from Ahmadu Bello University, Department of Mass Communication.
