SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAMS AS A TOOL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA

SKILL ACQUISITION PROGRAMS AS A TOOL FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1  Background to the Study

Every human being’s life revolves around their ability. Many technicians earn more than some university graduates because they acquire more practical skills than theories, as opposed to graduates who were fed theoretical experiences while in university. It has the ability to transport you to unexpected locations. The ability to be trained on a specific task or function and become an expert in it is referred to as skill acquisition. It is truly unfortunate that many parts of the world, particularly Nigeria, have high rates of unemployment. It is one of the reasons for the rapid increase in crime in many parts of the world. There are many graduates in the field today.

who are still unemployed in the country. This is due to our long educational system, which emphasizes theory over practical learning. It is obvious that Africa has the highest rate of youth unemployment. The primary cause of unemployment among today’s vibrant youths in our society is a lack of skills to back up what they learned in their educational institutions. When all of these graduates were in school, they did not learn even one skill, such as graphic design, hair styling, carpentry, or electrical maintenance, among others. Assuming they learn any skill, their unemployment rate will decrease.

One of the major Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that Nigeria is pursuing The goal for 2015 was to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, with the goal of encouraging the proportion of people earning less than a dollar per day to engage in skill acquisition. Skills acquisition is described as a tool for eradicating extreme poverty and hunger with the goal of paving the way for employment and creating an avenue for job and wealth creation, which may lead to self-sufficiency and reliance, as well as contributing to the country’s economic growth (Isaac, 2011). Gumbari, a member of the House of Representatives, stated that skill acquisition is the key to combating hunger and poverty, as well as reducing or eliminating joblessness and crime rates in the country.

Through effective youth engagement, society can be improved.

Nigeria is rapidly expanding its road network system in order to improve the flow of goods and services. This necessitates not only expert and dedicated workers, but also skilled technicians who can operate and service the road construction equipment. Modern industries are springing up across the country, and many of them require skilled and well-trained workers to ensure that goods manufactured in Nigeria are of the same high quality as those manufactured in developed and developing countries around the world. People must be skilled in order to operate and manage government and industrial operations. The expansion of the public and private sectors in Nigeria necessitates the need for more skilled workers in office management, accounting, typing, and short-hand.

in order to ensure that accurate records are kept and administrative efficiency is maintained functionally. Today’s Nigerian roads are clogged with all kinds of vehicles that help the country’s economic development by ensuring that goods and services are moved quickly and safely from one part of the country to another. All of these vehicles necessitate efficient operatives and skilled technicians to ensure that their useful life is extended and they are operated safely.

The importance of skill acquisition in the education sector cannot be overstated because it contributes to the development of the nation’s human capital and employment. As a result, an educated man is expected to produce a useful skill that will benefit everyone in society. This will also help his own development and boost his self-esteem in society. Any nation’s productive capacity is solely determined by its ability to recognize the ability of manpower. Educational theories and practices enable the development of ideas, scientific advancement, technological breakthrough, economic development, political stability, and so on. The development of one’s skills, competencies, knowledge, and understanding will benefit both the individual and the nation as a whole. One of the goals of education is for the individual to acquire appropriate skills and develop mental, physical, and social abilities and competencies as a tool for living and contributing to the development of his society. There is a current shortage of skilled personnel in Nigeria. enterprising and self reliant. There is also a demand for skilled workers who can comprehend and adapt to changes in technology’s increasing complexity. People who can apply scientific knowledge to improve and solve environmental challenges for man’s use and convenience are also required.

1.2       Statement of the Problem

The main issue confronting Nigerian youths today is unemployment. These young people make up a larger proportion of Nigeria’s economically active population. According to Awogbenle and Iwuamadi (2010), federal bureau of statistics statistics show that Nigeria has an 80 million youth population, accounting for 60 percent of the total population. In addition, 64 million are unemployed, while 1.6 million are underemployed. This implies that a lot of energy is being wasted that could have been used to generate revenue and improve the economy. Youths, like other segments of the population, have needs to be met (Nnabuife, 2009), but their important roles have suffered some setbacks since the 1980s, as they can hardly engage in meaningful work (Davies, 2009).

2006). As a result, frustration manifests itself through various vices that contribute to the country’s insecurity.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate how different skills acquired by youth can save them from unemployment as a result of government intervention by making loans available to them. As a result, the purpose of this study was to provide answers to some of the issues raised and to make recommendations.

1.3       Research Questions

The following are some of the questions that this research will attempt to answer:

I What are the implications of skill acquisition for the Nigerian economy?

ii) What steps is the government taking to encourage skill acquisition among youths for the development of the Nigerian economy?

iii) What are the reasons for the government’s encouragement of skill acquisition in Nigeria?

1.4       Objectives of the Study

The primary goal of this research is to look into the effects of skill acquisition on the Nigerian economy. However, the specific goals are as follows:

I to investigate the effects of skill acquisition on the Nigerian economy

ii) to assess the government’s efforts to promote skill acquisition among young people in order to advance the Nigerian economy.

iii) to investigate the reasons for the government’s encouragement of skill acquisition in Nigeria.

1.5       Research Hypothesis

The following research hypotheses will be tested:

I skill acquisition makes no significant contribution to the Nigerian economy.

ii) the level of education has a significant relationship with skill acquisition.

iii) There is a strong correlation between unemployment and skill acquisition.

1.6       Significance of the Study

The study’s significance is to benefit Nigerian youth by making them aware of the importance of skill acquisition in their lives and how it will help them become self-employed and self-sufficient. It will also demonstrate to the government how to incorporate a skill acquisition program into the curriculum activities of all schools across the country. Furthermore, the results of this study will greatly benefit society because incidences of unrealized potentials and low levels of technical skill acquisition are expected to be reduced.

1.7       Scope of the Study

This will apply to undergraduate, non-graduate, and postgraduate students in Nigeria, with Lagos serving as our case study. As a result, only undergraduate, non-graduate, and postgraduate students from a few Lagos local government areas were interviewed.

1.8       Limitation of the study

Except for a financial constraint that forced the researcher to print two hundred questionnaires rather than the proposed three hundred, the researcher faced few challenges.

1.9       Definitions of Terms

During the course of this research, the following terms were used:

Skill acquisition refers to the ability to be trained and become an expert in a specific task or function. It is unfortunate that there is “huge” unemployment in many parts of the world today, particularly in Nigeria.

Economic growth refers to efforts to improve a community’s economic well-being and quality of life by creating and/or retaining jobs, as well as supporting or growing incomes and the tax base.