ABSTRACT
The issue of graduate unemployment in Nigeria has become a matter
of urgent attention, as unemployed graduates tend to be more anxious, depressed
and unhappy with their attendant sleeplessness than those with jobs. This
situation has not only posed a great challenge to Nigeria's economy but also
retarded the economic growth and development of the country. It is against this
background that this study examined graduate unemployment and Nigeria's
economic development. Through a survey method, the study discovered that
unemployment in Nigeria is attributable to the fact that employees' education
and skills acquired are inadequate to meet the demands of modem day jobs. This
issue has become a phenomenal topic of discourse across professional gatherings
in media and commentary reviews, employer surveys, national economic debates,
social networks and employee forums. This study, however, recommended among
other things that the Government should make provision for bail-out funds for both private and
public companies and industries that their collapse or closure
have rendered their workforce
jobless. The environment should be made conducive to make them function
effectively. Government as a matter of urgency needs to address all the
operational challenges and threats confronting the manufacturing sectors and
other investors in the country.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGES
Title
page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of
Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement of the Problem 2
1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study 3
1.4 Research Questions 4
1.5 Research Hypotheses 5
1.6 Significance of the Study 6
1.7 Scope and Limitations of the study 7
1.8 Research Methodology 8
1.9 Outline of Chapters 9
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms 10
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW AND
THEORETICAL
FRAMEWORK
2.1 Conceptual Framework 10
2.2 Empirical
Framework 17
2.3 Theoretical Framework 25
References
36
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.0
Introduction 39
3.1 Research Design 39
3.2 Population of the Study 39
3.3 Sampling Design and Procedures 40
3.4
Sources of Data and Data
Collection Schedule 40
3.5 Problems Encountered in the Field 41
3.6 Method of Data Analysis 41
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA
ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
4.1 Introduction 42
4.2 Analysis of Bio-Data Of Respondents 42
4.3 Analyses of Research
Questions 46
4.3 Summary of Findings 51
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY,
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary 53
5.2 Conclusion 55
5.3
Recommendations 55
Bibliography 57
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the
Study
It is
an indisputable fact that one of the topical issues confronting Nigeria is the
problem of graduate unemployment irrespective of the fact that there is over
two hundred (200) Universities in Nigeria ranging from Federal to private
universities as well as polytechnics, and colleges of education (Ajaegbu,
(2012). This assertion is premised on the fact that graduate unemployment in
Nigeria has affected youths from a broad spectrum of socioeconomic groups, both
the well and less well educated. As a result, it has particularly stricken a
substantial fraction of youths from low income backgrounds and limited
education.
From the foregoing, it is obvious that graduate unemployment
impedes Nigeria's progress in many ways. Apart from economic waste, it also
constitutes danger for political stability (Anyanwu and Iloye 1998). It
is disturbing to note that Nigeria's graduates have limited chances of becoming
gainfully employed. It is even more disheartening that the country's economic
condition is such that, it is hardly able to absorb an optimal proportion of
the production of its own educational system. Gone were the days when employers
go about looking for employees.
It is
now the turn of graduate after spending many years in intuitions of higher
learning to move from one office to the other seeking non-existent jobs. These
days thousands of graduates are found waiting to be interviewed for just one,
two or few vacant positions in some organizations or groups. Most people who cannot
earn their living are prone to social vices. They look at themselves as second-class
citizens for being unable to contribute to the society. The state of
unemployment can even lead to depression, low self-esteem, frustration and a
number of other negative consequences (Anyanwu and Iloye 1998).
Graduate
employment is a crucial issue in Nigeria because the graduate youths constitute
a major part of the labour force and they have innovative ideas, which among
other factors are important in the development process of the country. A large
proportion of the youths however are unemployed. The negative consequences
include psychological problems of frustration, depression, hostility and
gradual drift of some visible unemployed youths in to all manner of criminal behaviour.
Simply
put, unemployment descries the condition of people who are without jobs. The
International Labor Organization (ILO) defines the unemployed as numbers of the
economically active population who are without work but available for and
seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs and those who have voluntarily
left work (World bank, 1998).
The menace of unemployment has increasingly been recognized as one
of the socio-economic problems currently
facing many developing
countries likeNigeria and Africa
as a whole. Graduate Unemployment in Nigeria is indeed a pathetic situation
that calls for urgent attention, to address these socio-economic effects
accompanied by it. It is against this background that this study set out to
examine the effects of graduate unemployment on Nigeria's economic development
from 1999-2014.
1.2 Statement of the
Problem
Unemployment
in Nigeria, especially graduate unemployment has been blamed on so many factors
such as erratic power supply, corruption, and other factors. For instance,
erratic and inadequate power supply has been the major reason cited by many of
the multinationals such as Michelin, Dunlop plc, Volkswagen Plc, PZ, Unilever
that are closed their operations in Nigeria which further worsened the level of
unemployment. For instance, the exit of Michelin from Nigeria costs the economy
1,300 direct jobs (Oke 2011). Also, on its own part, corruption is not a
strange word to youth unemployment in Nigeria. Simply put, corruption is a
dishonest or illegal behaviour, especially of people in authority. It is an abuse
of public office for private gain which usually involves embezzlement of public
funds, nepotism and falsification of facts and figures, etc.
More so, Industrialization in Nigeria has been pursued haphazardly
with little or no attention paid to manpower development implications of the
adopted strategies. For instance, after independence, a battery of incentives
was offered to industrialists to lure foreign investment into Nigeria. But, the
industrialists that came were capital intensive in their operation and could
not absolve proportional size of the growing labour force in gainful employment
(Yesufu, 1981).
The consequences of graduate unemployment in Nigeria are very
severe and threatening to the citizenry and the economy as a whole. Graduate unemployment
episode has continued to pose so many challenges to youths who are the future
leaders thereby affecting the stability and survival of the Nigerian nation.
Graduate Unemployment has contributes to crime and violence in Nigeria. With
growing level of graduate unemployment, the divide between the rich and the
poor grows, resulting in social tensions which could affect the entire fabric
of a community, state and the entire country. For instance, the Niger Delta
restiveness and the current Boko Haram insurgence have been blamed on youth
unemployment. Also, it has led to drugs abuse by youths. Due to frustration as
a result of not gainfully employed, most people turn to drugs. It is equally
easy to visualize that lack of steady income could, apart from the above ills,
also lead to inadequate nutrition and adversely affect health of the youth and
their families.
1.3 Aim and Objectives
of the Study
The
aim of this study is appraise the effects of graduate unemployment on Nigeria's
economic development. The specific objectives of the study are to:
i.
Interrogate
the relationship between graduate unemployment and Nigeria's economic
development.
ii.
Evaluate that
causes of graduate unemployment in Nigeria
iii.
Suggest ways
through which graduate unemployment can be reduced if not eradicated totally in
Nigeria.
1.4 Research Questions
The
following research questions are developed to guide this study;
i.
What is the
relationship between graduate
unemployment and Nigeria's
economic development?
ii.
What are the
causes of graduate unemployment in Nigeria?
iii.
What are the
ways through which graduate unemployment can be reduced if not eradicated
totally in Nigeria?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
This
study is built on the following hypothetical assumptions:
Hypothesis 1
Hi: There
is a relationship between graduate unemployment and Nigeria's economic development.
Ho: There
is no relationship between graduate unemployment and Nigeria's economic development.
Hypothesis II
Hi: There is a relationship between corruption
and graduate unemployment in Nigeria
Ho: There is a relationship between corruption
and graduate unemployment in Nigeria.
Hypothesis 111
Hi: There is a relationship between erratic power
supply and graduate unemployment in Nigeria
Ho: There
is no relationship between erratic power supply and graduate unemployment in
Nigeria.
1.6 Significance of the
Study
There
are too many benefits that will be accruable from this study when completed.
Firstly, it will provide an in-depth understanding on the causes of
unemployment in Nigeria as well as its consequences on the youths. This will go
a long way in ensuring that efforts will be made by both government and private
organizations to work against any policy that will lead to unemployment. Above
all, the study will add more too existing body of knowledge and serve as a
reference point for further research in the field of Economics, Political
Science, Development Studies, Sociology, etc.
1.7 Scope and
Limitations of the study
This study is designed to evaluate the effects
of graduate unemployment onNigeria's economic
development from 1999-2014. The quality of this research tends to be limited by
so many factors such as, the inability of respondents to open up and respond
objectively to the research questions, as well as time and financial
constraints. In order to ensure that these factors do not affect the quality of
this research, a structure questionnaire containing open ended question will be
designed to guide respondents in their response. Also, finance will be source
to meet with the financial obligations of the study.
1.8 Research Methodology
Methodology
involves data gathering and data analysis. Therefore data for this study will
be sourced through the use of primary and secondary sources. However, the
primary data, the questionnaire will be used to solicit responses and
information from respondents. This will be structured objectively, considering
the time lag and its relative advantage to minimize cost. The questionnaire
will be divided into two main parts, part 1 and part 11. The former is the
demographic data of respondents i.e. their socio economic background, while part
11 is the research questions. The secondary data for the study will be sourced
from published materials and literatures such as textbooks, periodicals,
publications and newspapers.
1.9 Outline of Chapters
This study
is designed to
span over five
chapters. Chapter one
is the introduction which will
comprise background to the study, statement of the problem, aim and objective
of the study, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the
study, scope and delimitations of the study, etc. Chapter two is the literature
review and theoretical framework. Chapter three deals with the effects of
unemployment on Nigeria's economic development.
Chapter four is data analysis and presentation. Chapter five is
the summary recommendations and conclusion.
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
Economic Development: This refers
to social and technological progress not merely an increase in production but
the way and manner goods and services are produced and which consequently leads
to increase or improvement in the standard of living of a nation or society in
question.
Graduates: This refers to people who
have university degrees or its equivalent to be employed in an organization.
Unemployment: A situation in which
there is number of the economically active population who are without work but
available for and seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs and
those who have voluntarily left work
Youth: This refers to young male and
female between ages 15 and 30 years.
Click “DOWNLOAD NOW” below to get the complete Projects
FOR QUICK HELP CHAT WITH US NOW!
+(234) 0814 780 1594
Login To Comment