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Opinions of Tuesday, 11 May 2021

Columnist: Dr Timi Olubiyi

Tackling youth unemployment in Africa

Majority of youths in Nigeria are without gainful employment Majority of youths in Nigeria are without gainful employment

Africa’s youth unemployment problem has been the subject of so many debates in recent years because of its prevalence in Africa. The youth unemployment rate simply refers to the percentage of the unemployed in the age group of 18 to 35 years as compared to the total labor force.

In Nigeria, for instance, the unemployment rate is often higher than the overall Africa’s average due to the country’s total population. According to reliable data, by demographics, over 60% of the population of Nigeria are youths. However, the majority of these youths are without gainful employment, many of them are equally vulnerable and out of any significant social welfare system. This situation also exists in many African countries such as Namibia, Angola, South Africa, and Mozambique, to mention a few.

The novel coronavirus pandemic which is running for over a year now has negatively impacted many economies with outlook dampened, thereby necessitating higher unemployment rates in many countries. Therefore, in addition to the life-threatening and health risks of the pandemic, the socio-economic impact is likewise real, most importantly with many workers still likely to face job loss, job cuts, salary cuts, and low-income or no-income or even redundancy. In fact, the combined consequences of COVID-19 and youth unemployment are severe and damaging to any nation. For instance, before now, unemployment had been a rising phenomenon in Nigeria, as many of the youths remained jobless, to the extent that the government itself never knew the rate of youth unemployment precisely.

Therefore, with the negative impacts of COVID-19 particularly on economic growth, it is inevitable that the unemployment rate as well as the poverty rate will go further up and might even be on a steady path of increase if no meaningful step or measures are taken.

With the current realities, the opportunities for jobs for these teeming youths continue to wane due to the high population, inadequate qualifications, and depressed economic condition, which are some of the factors that have prevented these young people from finding gainful employment. However, to avoid the impact of unemployment, coupled with COVID -19 consequences, which include a surge in the prevalence rate of crimes and criminality, it is recommended that sports participation be encouraged by African governments and policymakers. The participation of young people in economic and social activities will have a great significance for the continent’s development and improvement.

Africa needs to see sport as a business and also a way to promote healthy and promising citizens. Sport, more importantly, is one of the easiest avenues for young men to quit the poverty lane and unemployment. It’s important to note that with sports, the teeming youths can become athletes and be gainfully employed. Besides, there will be more job opportunities and commercialisation on the continent for companies, investors, talent scouts, agents, coaches, referees, trainers, sports analysts, media companies, facility management companies, sport wears companies, and merchandisers. A pleasant sports environment will equally encourage partnerships between businesses and sporting entities such as what is visible with stadia bearing the names of companies and sponsorships deals with company logos appearing on athletes’ clothing and equipment and so on in the developed countries. Studies have shown that sports can provide a reduced risk from alcohol use, smoking, terrorism, criminality, and illicit drug use amongst young people versus those who do not indulge in sports.

That said, in the world today, it is quite challenging to estimate the exact number of sports or games. However, a reliable report has shown that there are more than 8,000 sports. Yet, there are roughly 200 sports that have international recognition through a reliable international governing body. Nonetheless, the Olympics, which is the pinnacle of sports, has only validated 28 sports as of 2016.

Most of these sporting events are seen as lucrative career options, and in most developed countries, so much effort and resources are channelled into them. From a European perspective, sports-related employment represents a significant percentage of total employment on the continent. The amount of investment and cash that several sports stars earn around the world are mind-blowing. From football to tennis, basketball, motorsport, and boxing, to name a few. Excellent examples from Nigeria are, Nigerian-born British boxer (world heavyweight boxing champion) Anthony Joshua, who commands more than £30 million for every fight. This is apart from several endorsements he enjoys. Another athlete is Divine Oduduru, the second-fastest African athlete earning around N180 million yearly. Nigeria’s top table tennis player, Aruna Quadri, started 2020 as the 18th best player in the world and doing well with the sport. Likewise, footballers John Obi Mikel, Odion Ighalo, Victor Moses, Wilfred Ndidi, Victor Osimhen are earners to reckon with in football. In the ultimate fighting championship (UFC) and kickboxing career, the following Nigerian-born individuals Kamoru Usman, Israel Adesanya, Sodiq Yusuff, and Kennedy Nzechukwu are active and dominant in the sport.

According to the National Basketball Association, four of the players have Nigerian origin, and they are Al-Farouq Aminu, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chimezie Metu, and Josh Okogie. Interestingly, these sportsmen get additional income from endorsements and sponsorships all over, which lead to additional millions of dollars in earnings. This situation is not only applicable to Nigerians but other well-meaning African nationals. The point is that money will always flow to where the attention of the masses is, such as sports, particularly football, basketball, and boxing. In the same vein, according to compiled data by Forbes magazine, some of the wealthiest athletes globally are Floyd Mayweather (boxing), Tiger Woods (Golf), Lionel Messi (football), Cristiano Ronaldo (football), Conor McGregor (kickboxing), and Neymar (football). It is imperative to state that most of these athletes probably never registered any start-up business to gain prominence, but they are undeniably talented in what they do because of consistency and dedication. While talents are essential, a lot of seriousness, concentration, and motivation need to go into it to become a great successful athlete. Therefore, for millions of African youths, particularly Nigerians, energies can be channelled into mastering and pursuing careers in sports, just like we have seen in the entertainment and the music industry. Without a doubt, it could lead to a strong sports culture and competitiveness in both domestic and foreign markets.

Admittedly, sport is a veritable outlet that can offer a pro-active solution to youth unemployment in Africa. This is because sport skills can be learned, developed, and made a professional career, and it can provide a considerable positive impact. Nonetheless, for these to come into fusion, policymakers, sporting associations, and the government need to make decisive and responsive policies to encourage aggressive youth participation in sports and learning. This will give the needed encouragement and guidance to sports development in Africa. Besides, if a more professional approach is adopted in the sporting industry, the government, too, will benefit and generate consistent income. It can even provide a new source of national economic growth, and reduce sports tourism in developed countries.