Employment in Rivers State: Deputy Govnor Ipalibo Harry-Banigo explain why di state dey battle unemployment
Unemployment na serious palava for Nigeria but Rivers state for south south of di kontri tanda as di state wey get di highest unemployment rate.
Producers: Karina Igonikon, Ayo Bello For dis interview, deputy govnor of di state Dr. Ipalibo Harry- Banigo explain give BBC Pidgin tori pesin Karina Igonikan why Rivers case get as e be. As Rivers state goment dey prepare to begin dia second term, Dr. Ipalibo also explain say agriculture, environment, health and education go be di focus of di goment to provide plenti jobs for young pipo, address di soot pollution palava wey di state dey face and dem go also tackle security issue too. "We dey roast here" Labourers say dem dey permanent unemployment for Rivers State Collins Abiaziem Obinna na civil engineer wey dey do building work. Im from Oguta for Imo state and im get six pikins but for di past one week e neva see work as im and oda casual labour gada for dia usual spot for Location junction along NTA-Mgbuoba road Port Harcourt, Rivers State for Southern Nigeria, dey wait if dem for see work. "We dey roast for wia we dey. Na daily jobs we dey do but sometime a whole week, sometimes a whole month, we no see work. E dey very annoying and some sef, wen you go work dem no go pay you or dem go pay very small." Na so Obinna tok. National Bureau of Statistic NBS for dia 2018 3rd quarter report say Rivers State get one of di highest unemployment and underemployment rate with 36.4% after Akwa Ibom wey get 37.7% and Bayelsa follow with 32.6%. As Port Harcourt na oil city, di expectation na say work go boku but di reality dey different. For di casual labour spot, many labourers like plumber, iron bender, electrician, painter, carpenter to builders dem form union with dia tools for daily hire. One of dem Alexander Opara wey dey do painting and marble work tell BBC Pidgin say daily pay na N3500 or N5000 depending on di agreement but to see di work be di palava. Im come add say sometimes dem get to pay N10,000 commission before dem see work and if pesin no get dat kain amount, e no go get di work. Dis plus di harassment from area boys no dey make dem happy at all. Wetin di State Goment dey do? Lucia Agbaka na Educational Biology graduate from Alvan Ikoku College of Education, Imo State as she never find work, she dey learn poultry farming for one training programme wey State Employment and Expenditure for Results SEEFOR Project dey sponsor. Dis one with di School to Land programme and anoda women development programme for Taaba Khana local goment dey train over 500 pesins so dem fit start dia own business and even employ odas wen dem finish. Professor of Economics and Director University of Port Harcourt Business School, Prof. Okey Onuchukwu say unemployment for Nigeria dey well over 30% and di major cause na because Nigeria dey depend only on sale of crude oil for revenue but e no dey improve oda parts of di economy. "Even wen di refinery dem bin dey work, e no dey bring enof work as we expect not to tok of now wen dem no dey work. Dis don make crime boku for society as pipo no get work but dem gats to survive. So crime na di major consequence of unemployment." Prof Onuchukwu say one solution na for goment to make refinery work, develop modular refinery along di creeks because dem fit study and develop di technology di boys dey use do kpo fire instead of to dey destroy am with fire wey dey also spoil di environment and dat one go reduce militancy. Im come add say if dem ginger di agriculture and manufacturing sector to make sure say tins like electricity dey constant, di palava of unemployment go reduce well as small-small business go grow.