Stakeholders have urged the Federal Government to provided adequate infrastructure to tap the $9 trillion resources in the maritime industry. They explained in Lagos that adequate infrastructure was the only way one million jobs could be accessed by the jobless youths in the sector. In a communique issued at a two day workshop to expose and enlighten Nigerian youths to job opportunities in the maritime Industry by Employment Clinic at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, the stakeholders said that the rate of unemployment among Nigerian youths was alarming, saying it looks unsolvable despite abundant natural and human resources the country was abundantly blessed with in the industry. The stakeholders praised the Convener, Ms Ronke Kosoko for her selfless spirit, courage, and determination to see to the provision of job opportunities for the youth in the country. They said: “Many youths as a result of this ugly situation have taken to robbery and indecent acts. One of such resources the nation is blessed with is the abundant sea resources capable of providing millions of jobs for the nation.
“To tame youth unemployment through maritime industry, Project One Million Jobs, an initiative by Employment Clinic, exposes the youth to job opportunities in the maritime industry. “The maritime industry, with its vast resources, cannot provide jobs for unemployed Nigerian youth because it lacks basic infrastructure as identified by resource persons.” Also, they maintained that government could not provide job for all but can provide the enabling environment and infrastructure. The stakeholders identified traffic gridlock in and out of Apapa and other port cities in the country as a hindrance which had made the seaports to be fully exploited, to create job opportunities for teeming Nigerian youths. They noted that the erratic power supply in the port had hindered investors from expanding the employment scope. They added: “Governments at all levels have been blamed for concentrating much on providing physical building infrastructure than social (human) infrastructure, which drives the physical building infrastructure.”
The stakeholders advised the government to provide the enabling environment – infrastructure and good laws – to grow the nation’s maritime economy, stressing that government should balance provision of infrastructure between physical and human capital development. The stakeholders also advised Nigerian youths to acquire good education and skills in various fields of maritime. According to them, “The youth should identify opportunities and turn them to wealth. They should be creative and turn waste to wealth.
