Emma Ujah
The most crucial period in the life of a Nigerian graduate begins with the completion of national service. The dreams of endless possibilities, either come true or pop like balloons. A few graduates secure lucrative jobs, others start small businesses, while the bulk remain disconnected and roam the streets in search of direction for years unend. This often leads disillusionment, anger, and in extreme cases, negative payback.
Over the years, Nigeria, like many other developing economies have had to grapple with a high level of youth unemployment. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appreciates the enormity of this challenge which was why his administration has come up with several initiatives towards providing Nigerian youths the much needed opportunities to earn income through legitimate means.
The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) stands out as one of the most effective initiatives of the present administration.
It is one of the social safety net components of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).
With Mr. Peter Papka, as Director, the GIS is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance, where the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has shown an uncommon passion on how to utilize various windows to address the problem of unemployment in the nation.
The scheme has provided the bridge for graduates to more seamlessly secure paid jobs or go into their own businesses and become employers of labour rather than employees. This is easily achieved as interns under the scheme are sharpened, garnished and motivated to make them more appealing to employers in addition to having the requisite acumen to start their person businesses.
Several thousands of graduates have benefitted from the GIS for over a year and every one of them has a moving story to tell- putting the lie to the assertion that Nigerian graduates are not employable.
GIS can stand by this claim based on the number of graduates that got full employment within a few months of their internship, others get retained at the end, or get employed by other firms that find them skillful and experienced – a demonstration of the value-added nature of the internship.
Many states governments have over time, abandoned agriculture and now desire to get back to it and make it attractive, especially to young people. They desire to contract out the services of agricultural scientists, agricultural economists, agricultural engineers, veterinarians, extension workers and many more professionals in that sector. Problem is they do not want to employ workers, especially those that are not hands-on.
In Zamfara state, a conglomerate of four firms in the agriculture sector, Hoe Farmers, Food, Afrimea enlisted 250. The interns were primarily trained to provide extension services to farmers in their Local Governments Areas of residence. This, according to the coordinator of the conglomerate, Hon. Abdulkadir Nasir, has become necessary as farmers are now on their own.
“The public extension workers are getting old, few and are retiring, while the service is still in demand, as farmers need to have climate information, improved seedlings, options in procuring fertilizer and information on programmes and schemes of government they can benefit from.”
He said GIS has provided a convenient window to get graduates that can be trained and motivated to take over the extension sub-sector and build a career along the agriculture value chain.
According to him, “we have trained and deployed the graduates and they are now in the field in their various locations to provide extension services; we will continue to update them to be able to do their jobs well. We have asked interns in each Local Government to register a cooperative association with a view to providing them a basis to continue as a business after the expiration of the 12 months of internship. Each intern contributes N5000 monthly, out of their N30,000 stipend, to their cooperative account, so that they can use the funds to secure facilities from lending institutions”.
Success stories of interns
Hassan Bangaje studied Cooperative Economics. According to him, he encourage his colleagues on how to maximize the benefits of the cooperative associations they have set up. He participates fully in the primary assignment of providing extension services to farmers. As a secondary posting, he works in the fisheries unit of the state Agricultural Service Centre where he is learning how to raise catfish. He is already saving money to start his own fish farm to sustain himself.
Another intern, Mahe Bala, studied botany, and works in the same unit but he has already set up his own catfish farm, which he did with savings from his stipend. He plans to sustain himself after internship. The same goes for Ibrahim Hassan Magazu, who studied Agricultural Engineering and plans to set up his own farm after exit.
Other interns have branched out and taken advantage of the financial inclusion policy of government, which has birthed mobile money and agent banking businesses. All interns have received training in this area and they are encouraging their farmers and community members to subscribe and make and receive payments through them. Francesca Nnaji and Amina Suleiman Mohammed are examples of interns that are taking this business seriously as it is expanding very fast and will eventually obviate the need for them to seek salaried jobs as they now make between 12,000 and 20,000 monthly.
Abdurrahman Salihi has invested in agro-chemical business, for which he makes supplies to government and private agencies and believes he has no need for a paid job anymore. Hamisu Hamidu who works in the poultry unit claims to have saved N40,000 and set up a poultry business, which is doing very well.
Hon. Nasir said they have introduced all interns to irrigation farming, which is good business in the state, as well as, cooperative housing. According to the coordinator, The interns can use their cooperative
The most crucial period in the life of a Nigerian graduate begins with the completion of national service. The dreams of endless possibilities, either come true or pop like balloons. A few graduates secure lucrative jobs, others start small businesses, while the bulk remain disconnected and roam the streets in search of direction for years unend. This often leads disillusionment, anger, and in extreme cases, negative payback.
Over the years, Nigeria, like many other developing economies have had to grapple with a high level of youth unemployment. President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan appreciates the enormity of this challenge which was why his administration has come up with several initiatives towards providing Nigerian youths the much needed opportunities to earn income through legitimate means.
The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) stands out as one of the most effective initiatives of the present administration.
It is one of the social safety net components of Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P).
With Mr. Peter Papka, as Director, the GIS is domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Finance, where the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has shown an uncommon passion on how to utilize various windows to address the problem of unemployment in the nation.
The scheme has provided the bridge for graduates to more seamlessly secure paid jobs or go into their own businesses and become employers of labour rather than employees. This is easily achieved as interns under the scheme are sharpened, garnished and motivated to make them more appealing to employers in addition to having the requisite acumen to start their person businesses.
Several thousands of graduates have benefitted from the GIS for over a year and every one of them has a moving story to tell- putting the lie to the assertion that Nigerian graduates are not employable.
GIS can stand by this claim based on the number of graduates that got full employment within a few months of their internship, others get retained at the end, or get employed by other firms that find them skillful and experienced – a demonstration of the value-added nature of the internship.
Many states governments have over time, abandoned agriculture and now desire to get back to it and make it attractive, especially to young people. They desire to contract out the services of agricultural scientists, agricultural economists, agricultural engineers, veterinarians, extension workers and many more professionals in that sector. Problem is they do not want to employ workers, especially those that are not hands-on.
In Zamfara state, a conglomerate of four firms in the agriculture sector, Hoe Farmers, Food, Afrimea enlisted 250. The interns were primarily trained to provide extension services to farmers in their Local Governments Areas of residence. This, according to the coordinator of the conglomerate, Hon. Abdulkadir Nasir, has become necessary as farmers are now on their own.
“The public extension workers are getting old, few and are retiring, while the service is still in demand, as farmers need to have climate information, improved seedlings, options in procuring fertilizer and information on programmes and schemes of government they can benefit from.”
He said GIS has provided a convenient window to get graduates that can be trained and motivated to take over the extension sub-sector and build a career along the agriculture value chain.
According to him, “we have trained and deployed the graduates and they are now in the field in their various locations to provide extension services; we will continue to update them to be able to do their jobs well. We have asked interns in each Local Government to register a cooperative association with a view to providing them a basis to continue as a business after the expiration of the 12 months of internship. Each intern contributes N5000 monthly, out of their N30,000 stipend, to their cooperative account, so that they can use the funds to secure facilities from lending institutions”.
Success stories of interns
Hassan Bangaje studied Cooperative Economics. According to him, he encourage his colleagues on how to maximize the benefits of the cooperative associations they have set up. He participates fully in the primary assignment of providing extension services to farmers. As a secondary posting, he works in the fisheries unit of the state Agricultural Service Centre where he is learning how to raise catfish. He is already saving money to start his own fish farm to sustain himself.
Another intern, Mahe Bala, studied botany, and works in the same unit but he has already set up his own catfish farm, which he did with savings from his stipend. He plans to sustain himself after internship. The same goes for Ibrahim Hassan Magazu, who studied Agricultural Engineering and plans to set up his own farm after exit.
Other interns have branched out and taken advantage of the financial inclusion policy of government, which has birthed mobile money and agent banking businesses. All interns have received training in this area and they are encouraging their farmers and community members to subscribe and make and receive payments through them. Francesca Nnaji and Amina Suleiman Mohammed are examples of interns that are taking this business seriously as it is expanding very fast and will eventually obviate the need for them to seek salaried jobs as they now make between 12,000 and 20,000 monthly.
Abdurrahman Salihi has invested in agro-chemical business, for which he makes supplies to government and private agencies and believes he has no need for a paid job anymore. Hamisu Hamidu who works in the poultry unit claims to have saved N40,000 and set up a poultry business, which is doing very well.
Hon. Nasir said they have introduced all interns to irrigation farming, which is good business in the state, as well as, cooperative housing. According to the coordinator, The interns can use their cooperative
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