Grasping and appreciating this disconcerting reality and working towards greater job creation becomes a vital necessity not only the economic growth and development but the productive use of the skills of the unemployed.
The recent declaration by Papa Yusupha Njie of Unique Solutions of Rlg’s plan to create one million job opportunities in Africa is indeed a welcome development. The Gambia, like most countries in the third world has a high rate of unemployment estimated at over 40 percent among youths. Granted the fact that most of the recent university graduates still struggle to secure proper jobs in their area of specialization or any job at all.
This is leading many, especially the youthful population to pursue other less legal means of providing their needs .Bereft of sufficient job opportunities to go round, many are now resorting to the search of better opportunities through illegal migration to Europe commonly known as the ‘back way.
This is not just the result of a high unemployment but sometimes a case of severe underpayment. Whiles many have successfully embarked upon this dangerous journey, there are many others who are aspiring to do the same. All of these and many other vices – like drugs peddling – are usually the outcome of this same chronic problem. Many times, the fight against this menace is executed in such a way that they end up alienating the culprits without giving them proper alternatives once out of jail. Often times, most find themselves pursuing the same vices once they are freed from the clutches of the law.
Creating more employment opportunities is a policy that the government has been pursuing through its development blue prints of Vision 2020 and Programme for Accelerated Growth and Employment (Page).However; we are yet to see its fruits in full bloom. The poverty reduction strategic paper needs to be reviewed and reinvigorated for better implementation to address our current and rising challenges.
The private sector should also do more to complement the efforts of the government in making the common aspiration of creating a productive youth force through making employment a reality. It is in the paramount interest of the private sector to invest heavily in the welfare and prosperity of the youths for their fortunes are, needless to say, tied together.
However, it must be noted that job creation is more than just finding and erecting little and temporal income earning places. Rather, we need sustainable employment that will provide steady incomes. The constant price hikes of commodities which adversely affect people especially the low-income earners.
The private sector should make investments that reflect the needs of the times and our situation by adjusting to the realities of our situation. Productivity is the offshoot of a realistic agenda put in place by the institution of governance for the citizenry. There is need for an agenda that would reflect the common aspiration of the people beyond political and cultural orientation. However, the agenda must be one that is in line with an action oriented and pragmatic vision that can be realised. In view of this, we call on the government and all relevant stakeholders to develop once more a programme of action that can be put into effect as soon as possible to create more job opportunities and embark on implementing it for the greater good.
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