As part of efforts to address the challenges of unemployment and increasing internal insecurity Nigeria is faced with, Professor Oculi has advised the Federal Government to device ways to creatively engage the nation’s youths.
This was according to a Professor of Political Economy from Uganda, Professor Okello Oculi, while delivering a lecture at the Institute of Security Studies in Abuja.
He said the increasing number of youths engaged in road side hawking are potential tools in the hands of aggrieved politicians.
He therefore opined that engaging them more creatively would enhance productive ventures that would further increase the nation’s wealth.
On the sidelines, Mr Oculi advised the Federal Government to aggressively promote the culture of patronizing ‘made in Nigeria’ goods, as a means of reviving the manufacturing sector and also creating massive employment opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Economic Recession
In the face of the current economic recession, the nation has seen an increase in criminal activities over the last couple of months, as a number of youths in the society, have been engaged in various vices as a means of sustaining themselves.
With various experts, political as well as economic leaders, throwing up various suggestions on how to reflate Nigeria’s economy, the nation hopes to overcome the situation in short while.
In a conference that recently took place in Abuja, a lack of political will, to develop the manufacturing sector of the economy, was one of the major reasons
pointed out for the recession.
Prior to that, many leaders have continuously harped on the need for the government to explore the manufacturing as well as private sectors.
While some have said that the recession may linger over the next couple of years, if the captains of the economic team fail to re-evaluate Nigeria’s economic policies, the IMF on the other hand, predicts that Nigeria could be out of recession by 2017
This analysis which was contained in the October issue of the World Economic Outlook released by the IMF, gave the government as well as Nigerians a ray of hope while working towards national development.