1. SELF EMPLOYMENT, CHANNEL TO
INDUSTRIALIZATION AND ECONOMIC REFORMS.
The rate of level or level of employment has ever remained one of the major indicators of
level of economic development. It is for this reason therefore that nations strive hard
enough in other to create as many employment opportunities as possible. In Nigeria even
the colonial government initiated many programmed to reduce the level of
unemployment while every succeeding government have been identified with one
unemployment reducing programmed. These include back to land, operation feel the
nation, better life for rural women and most recently poverty alleviation programmed
(PAP).
Today, government alone cannot provide employment for everybody. Rather, what
government does is to create enabling environment for all in other to reduce the level
dependency placed on it on job creation. The government in addition go into partnership
with private firms both local and foreign, individual agencies to train and re-train people
in other to be self-employed.
Self employment is a situation whereby the people create their own job instead of waiting
to be employed. There are so many ways by which one could be self employed especially
now that what firms rely on survival strategy levels dump their certificates to learn one
form of art or craft making I order to survive the hard-time. The source of strength of
many of them are their family members, in few cases friend and well wishers while the
government recently is showing keen interest in the areas of providing soft loans either
through banks / agency and the payment of allowance to trainee during their period of
apprenticeship.
There is no one nation today that is industrialized except through the programmed of self
employment of indigenous cottage industries. With these small business holdings,
employment is not only created but the income level of the people is not only created but
the income level of the people is raised, government generates addition revenue while the
people again develop skill in arts and crafts.
The Nigerian, the present government’s economy reforms is anchored not only
employment on creation but self employment. Many firms originally owned by

2. government is been slated and sold to the public through the privatization exercise with a
few of the firms been commercialized. The present high rate of exchange of our currency
with other nation’s currencies can only be reduced when people becoming employed
thereby reducing the nation’s dependence on imported goods and services. Almost, all
sector of the economy including oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing to
mention a few are liberalized in order to allow for greater investment. The indigenes
when employed would develop their own skill overtime to become self-employed or
through training offered by the foreigner. A good example is the youth Agricultural
training institute at Malete Moro Local Government in Kwara State offered by the
Zimbabwe commercial farmers.
Most societal ills such as juvenile diligence, robbery, stealing, prostitution, early
marriage and abortion could be seriously teal led and reduced through the various self
employment schemes of the federal, state and local governments. While many graduates
can sharpen their skills in trade, art and crafts in order to have meanings of livelihood.
The government should conduct more researches and seminars in other to identify areas
if heeds of the army of unemployment youth so that they could contribute their quota to
national development.
ALAYANDE BASHIR OLUWASEGUN (2011)