Cardinal John Onaiyekan has said the worsening unemployment crisis in Nigeria has left many young people unable to consider marriage or plan their future despite earning university degrees.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja made the remark while speaking on the country’s economic situation following the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria’s recent meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Onaiyekan said government should measure its performance by the welfare of ordinary Nigerians rather than economic statistics.
He argued that improvements in figures released by institutions such as the World Bank or reflected in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) mean little if citizens continue to struggle with hardship.
He said: “If we admit that the role of government is the welfare of citizens, then it means we are not going to judge the success of our government on the basis of the statistics from GDP, from the World Bank, or whatever. The important thing is, what, how is the life of the Nigerian?”
The Catholic cleric identified youth unemployment as one of Nigeria’s most pressing challenges, saying many graduates remain unable to secure jobs after years of education.
According to him, the situation has made it difficult for young Nigerians to think about marriage, starting families or making long-term plans for their lives.
He said: “The terrible thing now is many of our young people that have struggled to finish university are all going around with their degrees. They are unable to get a job. ‘’Therefore, they can’t even think of marriage. They can’t think of starting a family. They can’t think of planning their life. That is terrible, “ the Cardinal lamented.
Onaiyekan warned that the continued frustration among unemployed youths could have serious implications if urgent steps are not taken to improve their living conditions.
He urged the government to demonstrate political will by governing with honesty, fairness and justice.
He said: “The only thing it takes is a political will to do the right thing, to be honest in how government is run, to be just to everybody, to be fair in this.’’