A few days ago, a picture of a Nigerian job-seeker on the streets of Port Harcourt went viral.
Speaking with the Zikoko team, 26 year old IB MacDonald shared her story and how she has been unemployed since she obtained her B.Sc degree in 2010.
The mother of two currently holds an M.Sc in Education Psychology and will complete her Ph.D program in 2017. She even uploaded her CV on her Facebook page.
She explained how the job offers she got to teach in some private schools came with a salary package of 10,000 Naira, which isn’t even enough to cover her transportation bills to work.
She stated how the frustration from being idle for so long drove her to the streets of Port Harcourt.
After her picture went viral, IB received calls from people who suggested she started a business. However, IB said she isn’t a business-minded person and her passion is in lecturing.
And this raises questions. Why is the Nigerian government more concerned with offering empowerment programs than providing jobs?
Why should Nigerians go to school only to be asked to start a business right after? Does having an education in Nigeria come with an entrepreneurship package?
Nigeria is yet to make some scientific/infrastructural breakthroughs. Shouldn’t the government aim to create jobs in these sectors?
Why should a Nigerian have to resort to going to the streets to seek for employment?
Someone with an advanced degree like IB should be in a position to proffer solutions to Nigeria’s failing education sector.
