Unemployment: Top 3 Poorest States In Nigeria-Imo State In Focus
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Unemployment: Top 3 Poorest States In Nigeria-Imo State In Focus: Unemployment hit Imo, Adamawa, and the Cross River States far worse than other States in Nigeria-National Bureau of Statistics reveals
Imo was followed by Adamawa and Cross River States. The three states recorded 56.6 percent, 54.9 percent, and 53.7 percent unemployment rates respectively.
Imo State had the highest percentage of unemployed people in Nigeria in the fourth quarter of 2020, retaining a position it held in the second quarter, the National Bureau of Statistics said in its latest labor force report.
Meaning, there more poor persons living below the poverty line in the State of Imo, giving rise to massive social Unrest, crimes and even prostitution
Most Imo graduates work outside Imo state including in fellow South Eastern states. Many travel outside the country and also contribute their quota in the billions of dollars remitted to Nigeria annually!
There are no big markets in Imo. Folks prefer education more. The reason the state top Jamb yearly!
What Can The Government of Imo State Do to Change the Tide?
One thing the government of Imo state can do to quickly create jobs is to take the radical step of setting up fund with about 50% of the budgeted income
Liaise with a serious bank and use that as some sort of counterpart funding for anybody willing to start up any big or small-scale industry in the state.
In doing so, attempts should be made to get Imo industrialists with huge investments outside the state to think home a bit. Likewise investors from neighboring state
The same approach should be used with successful Imolites outside the country. Help with provisions of land and reduction of taxes and disturbances by touts. Industrial growth targeted could be in agro-related areas, in the healthcare industry, or in household equipment production.
In nearby markets outside Imo state, Imo citizens dominate the drugs and household import business.
Imo government has to calibrate a method of helping them transition into domestic producers leveraging on their many years’ experience in these sectors.
Pursued vigorously, in about a decade, this plan can help reduce unemployment with both direct and indirect employments, since it will be a bit cheaper for local industrialists to invest back home