…laments over 40% of youth are jobless
Seun Shotunde, Abeokuta
The National President of Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association(PERESSA) Com. Rufus Olusesan has identified unemployment as the major cause of kidnapping, banditry and other social vices in the country.
Olusesan, who stated this yesterday during the 2026 Annual Industrial Relations Conference held at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, urged the Federal Government to urgently address the problem of unemployment to combat insecurity in the country.
He spoke on the theme ” Collective Bargaining, Strikes and quest for Industrial peace in Nigeria.” with a call on FG to urgently implement the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement before the expiration of the 14-day ultimatum issued by the academic body.
The National President who said that the waves of kidnappings, killings by bandits, insurgency, fraud and other vices witnessed in the country were mostly caused by jobless youth from poor background, insisted that the provision of adequate jobs was a better way for FG to reduce the menace.
According to him, more than 40% of our youth are unemployed or underemployed, leaving thousands of graduates spending years searching for meaningful work, adding that those who manage to secure jobs could not afford basic necessities due to inflation.
Olusesan explained that the youth struggled to cope with the rising cost of food, housing and transportation as well as other essentials with their little salaries and wages, stressing that such discomfort had forced the youth into kidnapping and other crimes.
“The state of our nation today is defined by hardship, insecurity, and the gradual erosion of workers’ rights. Over 40% of our youths are unemployed or underemployed. Graduates spend years without jobs while those with jobs cannot meet basic needs due to inflation.”
“Joblessness is fueling insecurity. Banditry, kidnapping, and fraud are thriving because idle hands are the devil’s workshop. When a father cannot feed his family, society becomes unsafe for all of us.” he said.
The National President called on the government to give greater priority to local production, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and industries with strong potential to create jobs, stressing the need to protect employment and stimulate economic growth.
On wages, he demanded for the immediate commencement of negotiations on a new national minimum wage that would reflect the prevailing inflation rate and rising cost of living, arguing that workers should be able to earn a living wage that meets their basic needs.
Olusesan also expressed regret over increase in mass retrenchment of both private and public sectors as employers now use economic hardship, rising inflation, and soaring energy costs as reasons for downsizing.
The National President said that the loss of the livelihoods has left some affected workers vulnerable, with a few driven into criminal activities including kidnapping and banditry to survive, adding that the term “redundancy” was now common among employers being to victimize workers and intimidate union leaders.
He also urged the government to declare a moratorium on the indiscriminate retrenchment of workers, while demanding the immediate reinstatement of workers who were allegedly dismissed for engaging in legitimate union activities, with their full benefits restored.
“Mass Retrenchments Across both public and private sectors, companies are citing “economic realities”, inflation, and cost of energy to embark on massive downsizing. The so-called “redundancy” is now being used as a tool to victimize workers and union leaders.”
“As a labour movement, we can no longer keep quiet while millions of Nigerians are thrown into poverty and while the very mechanisms for dialogue between Labour and Government/Employers are being undermined.” he added.
Olusesan urged the government on social protection, to strengthen safety-net programmes, expand access to affordable housing and improve healthcare services for both workers and unemployed Nigerians, saying such measures would help cushion the impact of rising economic hardship.
He, however, advocated for continuous training of the workers at their workplaces in modern technologies to keep them equip and productive, stressing that employees can no longer rely solely on the knowledge acquired at the beginning of their careers.
