Unemployment: JCI President advises youths to embrace entrepreneurship
The President of Junior Chambers International, Nigeria (JCIN), JCIN Amb. Sandra Ekene Efemuaye has called on Nigerian youths to embrace opportunities in entrepreneurship, as means to fight unemployment in the year 2024.
Efemuaye made the call, while speaking during the Southwest Area Council of Presidents meeting of the organization held at Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
Efemuaye disclosed that statistics already shown that about 64% of Nigerian youths are unemployed, saying that rather than waiting for jobs that are not there, they should embrace entrepreneurial skills that would in turn make them creators of jobs and wealth.
The JCI Nigeria President also charged the Nigerian youths who have been given opportunity to serve in the political space to give a good account of themselves adding that they should not be the reason why other youths bubbling with zest and initiatives that will help move the nation forward be denied of such opportunities.
She said, “as a foremost leadership development organisation for the youths, we are well aware that the major challenge facing the country is unemployment, and statistics have shown that the youth account for about 64% of this challenge.
“While we agreed that government have a role to play in solving this problem, we also believe that the youths have bigger role to play because our mindset training in JCI is tailored towards ‘what can I also do or contribute’ to make the society better.
“So, we are saying that in this year 2024, the Nigerian youths should embrace entrepreneurial skills, they should try to see what they could do on their own to stay off pursuing the jobs that are not there.
“Last year, we gave our members access to over 1,200 soft skills. We equally provided them with mentorship so that the mistakes others have made, they won’t make it. This is the way to go to reduce the burden of unemployment. JCI will be doing a lot in this regard this new year.
Efemuaye tasked youth who find themselves in the corridor of power to be of good conduct, be patriotic and not be involve in any form of misdemeanors that could deny other youth the privilege of being considered for leadership positions in the country.
She said, the association will also pursue aggressively building its national permanent secretariat this year, saying that an organization that has been existence globally for over 100 years and over 60 years in Nigeria deserved to have a befitting secretariat that its thousands of members could be proud.
