Nigerians criticise Buhari over high unemployment rates

Nigerians are using social media to express their disappointment in the service delivery record of President Muhammadu Buhari.

The issue that has triggered the latest bout of ranting and frustration is the report from the government statistics office showing that four out of every ten people in the country’s workforce are unemployed or underemployed.

While Nigeria recently rebased its gross domestic product, becoming Africa’s biggest economy in the process, economic growth in the country is sluggish as it slowly climbs out of its first recession in a quarter of a century.

The recession led to a drought of work opportunities, contributing to a cycle of poverty that fuels inequality and social unrest.

“A return to economic growth provides an impetus to employment,” Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a report released on Friday.

“However, employment growth may lag, and unemployment rates worsen especially at the end of a recession and for many months after,” the stats office said, adding that it expects unemployment to peak in the fourth quarter of 2017.

if you are a true Nigerian you don’t need statistics to know that unemployment is a way of life in Nigeria

— Nafiu T (@nafeezi) December 22, 2017

In 2017, Africa’s largest exporter of oil is still plagued with #fuelscarcity, epileptic power supply, bad roads & infrastructure, unemployment, corruption, etc.

In Achebe’s words “There was a country”. Sadly, from being a sleeping gaint, #Nigeria is now in a coma. Smh

— Kenechi Edozie (@Kc_Edozie) December 22, 2017

Bad roads
No light
No fuel
Poor education system
Ineffective judiciary
Unfortunate leaders
Go slow president
Largely illiterate citizens
Rising unemployment.

What exactly makes Nigeria the Giant of Africa?

I really want to know

— Otunba RainMaker Ken (@kenifeanyii) December 21, 2017

The rate of unemployment is really high in Nigeria if not, why would someone fix protest for Monday (the 1st working day of the week). The whole country needs reform #EndSARS #BetterNigeria AdeolaFayehun obyezeks atiku

— Haryordeji Furiosa (el_ayodeji) December 11, 2017

The administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, who campaigned on vows to fix Nigeria’s economy, has struggled to follow through with plans to reduce the country’s dependence on oil.

By the end of September, Nigeria’s economically active or working population was 111.1 million people, said the NBS.

Unemployment has increased to 18.8 percent of that population from 16.2 percent at the end of June, it said.

The combined proportion of people unemployed or underemployed was 40 percent at the end of September, up from 37.2 percent by the end of June, said the NBS report.

Much of Nigeria’s recovery since the second quarter has been driven by crude production, which accounts for roughly two-thirds of government revenues, despite the government’s assertions they are investing in infrastructure and key industries such as agriculture to drive employment and boost growth.