Addressing Unemployment in the Niger Delta

Ugo Aliogo examines the efforts of PIND Foundation in tackling unemployment in the Niger Delta region

If the bulging army of unemployed and underemployed youths in Nigeria were to be a country, it would be ranked the 16th most populous globally and the fourth in Africa.

A 4th quarter report of 2020 by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) put Nigeria’s youth unemployment/underemployment at 42.5 per cent. Taken from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) data that put Nigeria’s population at 211.4 million, it means the number of unemployed/underemployed youths in the country stands at 89,845,300.9. (90m).

The country’s dependency ratio is 86 per cent of the population, going by a 2020 World Bank report. This implies that those groups of persons who are producing the goods and services for the country (15 – 64 years of age), consequently adding to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is below 20 per cent of the population. This calls for concern.

Furthermore, industry experts have posited that while thousands of graduates are churned out yearly from various tertiary institutions, there still exists a huge disconnect between the educational system and market-required skills. A lot of graduates have therefore become unemployable due to this disconnect.

Should this depressing trajectory be allowed to fester without appropriate interventions by the government and private sector, Nigeria can well bid goodbye to its days of glory and embrace gory tales as the new normal. Poverty, deteriorating socio-economic infrastructures, poor healthcare delivery, suicide, and insecurity issues will become the order of the day.

There is a need to stem the tide. All hands must therefore be on deck, to set the country in the right direction.

The age-long question then reappears – what can be done to solve the unemployment and underemployment quagmire the country is currently grappling with?

According to a definition by the NBS, a person is regarded as employed if he or she is engaged in the production of goods and services, thereby contributing to the GDP in a legitimate manner, which is a component of the national accounts and receives any form or amount of compensation for that activity.

On the other hand, underemployment occurs if a person works less than full-time hours, which is 40 hours, but work at least 20 hours on average a week and/or if he or she works full time, but are engaged in an activity that underutilizes his or her skills, time, and educational qualifications.

Tackling unemployment

Nigeria is commonly referred to as the ‘Giant of Africa,’ but an overweight giant becomes a burden to itself. However, to help the giant lose some of its excess weight, there must be a systematic, routine, and segmented approach to achieve a holistic result.

In the same vein, Nigeria is made up of six geopolitical zones – the North Central (NC), North East (NE), North West (NW), South West (SW), South East (SE) and South-South (SS). These are further broken down into 36 States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Out of these states, nine form the Niger Delta region – the oil-rich states.

Ironically, some of the states in the Niger Delta, especially Abia, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Imo, and Rivers, have some of the worst employment indices in Nigeria.

To solve this challenge, in a pilot project, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND), which was established by Chevron Corporation, initiated the Niger Delta Youth Empowerment Pathways (NDYEP) project, with support from Ford Foundation, to actively target youths in three states in the region (Abia, Akwa Ibom and Rivers).

Its sole aim was to address identified systemic challenges in the youth employment ecosystem through the use of data for decision making, and matching skills supplied to the market demand and opportunities.

Hence, PIND conducted a labour market assessment in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, and Abia States to understand how the unemployment market functions, and to determine specific occupations and skillsets in-demand – technical and soft skills that are being supplied, and how they are being delivered.

Informed by labour market research findings, and through a process of co-creation with partners and market actors, the project in the pilot phase designed interventions with a focus on four priority sectors – construction, agriculture (Aquaculture), Information and Communication Technology (ICT)/Renewable Energy, and finished leather sector.

It developed multiple pathways. One pathway combines technical and soft skills development that will lead to formal waged employment. The second pathway is entrepreneurship which leads to self-employment through the development of dynamic entrepreneurship skills.

The market survey and economic study for the implementation of the NDYEP programme began in late 2017, while implementation began in 2018.

People were selected based on need, age (between 16 to 39 years), and their interests in shoemaking, construction, ICT, and agriculture. This was also if they were unemployed.
PIND reached out to people using several online platforms such as Facebook, and Twitter; community-based organisations to reach people at the grassroots – villages, and churches; youth association networks and ministries of employment using a platform known as NDLink; and through influencers, with a vast number of followers. It also interfaced with different local governments in different areas.

Of the target to train 1,000 youths over 1,468 youths completed training on skills in ICT, aquaculture, and construction. 906 trainees in ICT, 271 trainees in Aquaculture, and 291 trainees in construction.

By providing competency training that matches skills to demand in the labour market, and by providing post-training business support, 233 trained youths have been placed on internships and apprenticeships, 251 in waged employment, and 207 graduates have successfully been supported to transition into entrepreneurship/self-employment.
The pilot will be used to develop evidence-based approaches to tackling the youth unemployment crisis in the Niger Delta.

According to the Executive Director of PIND, Dr. Dara Akala, “The main aim of the project is to develop model pathways for youth job readiness or workforce development that provides the marginalised youths, men and women in the Niger Delta region, the opportunities to secure sustainable jobs through intensive skills the development programme that equips them with market-relevant skills.

“This is a clarion call to the federal government, state government, local government, and private companies, to rise to this challenge by creating multiple partnerships that will help us to equip the youths by providing them with technical skills, soft skills, and entrepreneurship. This will boost economic activities and economic production for the development of the Niger Delta region. We had deliberate targets – gender and people with disabilities.

“As a partnership initiative, we worked with and through partners across all our program areas. So we applied the same processes for partner selection to the NDYEP project. First and foremost, we were looking at private providers mainly, some market actors, because we had the issues of sustainability at the back of our minds when we were trying to select partners.”

The Deputy Executive Director of PIND, Tunji Idowu, added: “The rate of unemployment in the Niger Delta is even higher than the average rate for Nigeria. You don’t want to have an army of unemployed or underemployed youths that are not kept busy, and their energies are not channeled towards productive means.

“The approach is demand-driven, market-led, and it’s based on data. The training was competency-based. It was broad – not only technical training but also those soft skills that people often say become the success factors. Not only were they trained, but they were prepared for the marketplace.

“Anything that PIND does starts with research. When we were in the research phase, we discovered that there was a disconnect between the educational system and the market-required skills. The selection was based on an initial assessment which has numeracy, literacy, and psychometric tests.”

According to Idowu, “The NDYEP had a target of 1,000 youths in the first year and 3,000 youths in the second year. In the first year, we trained over 1,600 youths, and in the second year, we trained 3,180 youths. So it was very impressive, and I can say we have met our target in terms of the number of participants.”

The Project Consultant ay NDYEP, Patrick Ekpe, said: “We had a target of 40 percent women, and at least 10 percent persons living with a disability. As at the end of the second year program, we had 37.5 percent women on the programme, and 5.5 percent persons living with disabilities.”

According to a government stakeholder, Nwachukwu Agomoh, “What PIND has done is to create what I call an enabling platform for the exchange of ideas, and that has principally driven what PIND has been able to achieve presently.”

Another government stakeholder, Erasmus Chukwumba, hinted: “This one is more pronounced because it has to do with graduates, and we have seen that with this program, many people are being developed – their capacities are being developed, and their skills improved. So, when they finish the training, we are sure that they will get placement in our member companies.”
The Training Coordinator, E&I, Rivers State of PIND, Etuk Victor, noted: “Human capital development is key. This is the only way that youth restiveness can be curbed, if not eradicated.

“The goal is to get the trainees skillful enough to be awarded Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB) certification, which is a certificate that can help them to get jobs, and also this certificate helps them to be self-reliant so that they can be self-employed.”

An NDYEP implementing partner, Emeka Unachukwu, stated: “With other projects, I have done, they stop at the training phase; some stop at giving palliatives, and then it ends. But this is one project that I have done that has shown me that you can pick up a youth from the street and make him a millionaire. It is possible. That is what NDYEP is all about.”

Project Manager of NDYEP, Emeka Ile, posited: “NDYEP basically looks at alternative ways to begin to address the challenge of youth unemployment in the Niger Delta.
“Having a young population in itself is not a bad thing because it is certainly a lot of energy that needs to be put in the right place. But the challenge right now is that the economy has had some times of significant growth, but that growth has not been accompanied with the relevant kind of job creation, or is not inclusive enough as a lot of people will say.”

Achievements

They say it is a man’s world, but Uduak, a HND holder in Business Administration from a Private Polytechnic, would have none of that.

Breaking the limiting narratives that the place of a woman should be in the kitchen or “the other room,” the Akwa Ibom-born lady sought to build and boost her self-confidence by securing her financial future.

While battling to pay her rent, pay for her Post Graduate programme and also be able to afford “three square meals” without breaking a bank or losing her decency, Uduak got to know about the NDYEP training programme and settled for construction (woodwork).
Not an easy profession, even for men. However, she has somehow been able to make it a success. She now has clients across the country. Uduak is not only financially independent, but she is also on the path to actualising her dream of establishing the biggest woodwork company in Nigeria.

“The first job I had was from my Facebook chat with someone who was constructing his house in Uyo. I did the kitchen cabinets, and the delivery was satisfactory. My jobs are basically from people I chat with online. I use Facebook, Google, and YouTube platforms to get my customers.

“My vision is to own a very big woodwork company in Nigeria, where we can interpret wood and send a rhythmic sound to people from wood. PIND has given me that mentality to think outside the box,” she said.

For Believe Amasi who hails from Eleme Local Government of Rivers state, having a form of disability and not being able to adequately meet the needs of his family, shattered his happy home.

“I have kids and a wife. I came to this programme through the ‘Daughters of Charity.’ I am the President of the disabled in Eleme Local Government.
“Due to my situation, my wife left me and left me with my kids. It was so difficult to feed and do so many other important things. But God brought PIND my way. I am so happy to be a beneficiary of this wonderful training organised by PIND. We learnt how to hatch fish, prepare barbeque, rear fish. All these have had a great impact on our lives.

“Through this training, I have my own barbeque stand as we speak. You have to start somewhere when you are expecting the bigger one. I am proud of myself today. Besides doing my barbeque business, I am also impacting what I have learnt to other people. The youths have seen that this programme is real, and many of them are ready to be impacted,” he said.

According to Chinagozi Daniel, an ICT implementing partner from Abia states, “45 of them (trainees) have become Facebook trainers on the Facebook Boost Your Business training, as trainers or as support trainers. As they were doing that, they were being paid by Facebook. They were earning money even before they finished their classes.”

Israel Yusuf, an Aquaculture implementing partner in Akwa Ibom states affirmed: “Over 90 per cent of the people we are training are not going into paid employment but they are starting their own farms.”

Sylvia Chinwenda Nwito, an ICT trainee in Rivers state, espoused: “What has changed? Number one is job offers. Then, I begged them to get into companies because I didn’t have skills. Now I am actually getting job offers.”

Another beneficiary, Achunwa ThankGod, who is from Rivers state, said: “I have a Diploma in Law and B.Ed in Political Science. Almost about the end of my final year examination, I went in search of a job, and I got one anyway, but the pay was so low. I had to consider other alternatives.

“That is what caught my interest in enrolling into this programme sponsored by PIND. Before we came for this programme, I thought the painting was something you can do ordinarily. Through the training, I have had a lot of experience that will help me in the delivery of my job as an interior and exterior decorator.

“It has really made me become one of the professionals in interior and exterior decorations. In learning and applying what I have learnt, a lot has really changed; the way I work, the process and manner in which I deliver the work. Since I started this programme, it has been awesome and I have not lacked money. I can produce local and quality paints.”

Charles Offor, a 27 years old Bio-Chemistry graduate, and a beneficiary, remarked: “I got to know about the NDYEP programme from the internet. I enrolled for Leather Works courtesy of Clintonel Innovation Centre. Before then, I did not know anything about shoemaking, though the interest was there.

“It was during the process of learning shoemaking that I got to know about the different types of leather in the market. We were exposed to a software design called Shoe-Master. In the Shoe-Master, we were taught how to use computer-aided design and graphics in designing various types of shoes – male and female shoes.

“With the software, you don’t need to use your pencil to design or cut and draw your patterns. I have also been exposed to different segments, one of which is the customer segment. This has changed my thinking and strategy. It has also changed me financially too.
“It has given me that independence – to think and get money for myself. 10 years from now, I will have built a brand that will go global.”

Another beneficiary of the NDYEP programme, Chidi Stanley, who is 27 years old from Abia State, who studied Banking and Finance at Abia State Polytechnic, said: “I enrolled for construction through the NDYEP training program. I have not been a welder before, but I registered at the Welding and Fabrication department. But through the PIND program, I was able to actualise that dream.

“Before my enrolment into the training, things were very difficult for me; no work, no white-collar job, even though I have been applying for jobs from one company to another, from one department to another.

“When I started, the work was too tough, but I was determined. With the learning that I acquired at Kiara De Luke Academy through PIND, I have established my own company and it is going well. I do not beg for money for bread anymore. I now stand on my own.”