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A philanthropist, Pastor Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola, has called on the federal, state and local governments as well as other philanthropists, the organised private sector, donor agencies and groups, to synergise and engage in concerted and pragmatic efforts to address unemlpoyment and under-employment in Nigeria.
He stated that it is alarming that about 23.2 million Nigerians are unemployed.
He, warned that such a high unemployment level could hightein the current insecurity in some parts of Nigeria.
According to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics on March 16, 2021; Nigeria’s unemployment rate rose to 33.3 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020 from 27.1 percent in the second quarter.
This 33.3 percent translates to some 23.2 million people being unemployed, which is the highest in at least 13 years and the second-highest rate in the world.
“The report further has it that while the unemployment was 33.03 percent, under-employment was 28.2 percent; youth unemployment was 42.5 percent and youth under-employment was 21.0 percent.”
Babalola, whose address was read by his representative, Mr. John Adegboye, spoke on Wednesday in Ganmo, Kwara State, during the second edition of the Igbomina National Students Union empowerment, where he empowered 45 graduates. The empowerment tools included laptops; sewing machines for tailors; dryers for hair dressing, Ovens for culinary services; and digital cameras for photography; among other empowerment tools.
It could be recalled that during last year’s empowerment, 14 Information, Communication and Technology gadgets; 12 sewing machines, four ovens, two make-up kits, one dryer and one professional welding machine that he provided were given to the beneficiaries according to their areas of interest.
The philantropist had given scholarships to 1,362 students and pupils in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, empowered widows, aged people, sponsored health outreaches which the beneficiaries included some members of Gaa Akanbi, Biada and Oniganka communities in Ilorin South Local Government of Kwara Central; Aare Opin, Osi Community and Oke Opin from Ekiti LGA; Odo-Owa in Oke-Ero LGA of Kwara South and Patigi,Tankpafu and Garogi of Patigi LGA in Kwara North.
Through their foundation, Bayo and Bunmi Babalola Foundation, which he and his wife, Bunmi, founded, they had empowered five widows of the deceased officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps each with a grinding machine, in response to the request of the Civil Defence Officers’ Wives’ Association.
He also had placed some aged people on monthly salaries.
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