From Laide Raheem, Abeokuta

Worried by the increasing rate of unemployment in Ogun State and its attendant effects on the socioeconomic development of the State, the National Association of Ogun State Students (NAOSS) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) have called on Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently rejig the state job portal for more efficiency.

The associations also raised the alarm over the surge in criminal activities, such as internet fraud, ritual killings and kidnapping in the state in the recent time, attributing it to the increasing rate of unemployment in Ogun.

The Abiodun-led administration in its bid to provide employment for the millions of youths, both skilled and unskilled in the state, had launched the job portal to register unemployed youths and for both public and private organisations to post their job openings with the view to linking the youths with the available jobs.

But, the students bodies, in a statement, jointly signed by the National President of NAOSS, Oluwagbemileke Ogunrombi and the State Chairman of NANS, Kehinde Damilola Simeon, in Abeokuta, on Monday, argued it had become imperative for the state to review the portal to achieve its objectives.

The associations pointed out that, the state which has the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria must be repositioned to take advantage of quality of graduates produced in these institutions for the economic development of the State.

“The governor should, however, be reminded that Ogun State has the highest number of tertiary institutions in Nigeria and these schools graduate thousands of their products on a year-on-year basis to the labour market.

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“We have observed that many of these graduates have found a safe haven in our dear state even years after their educational sojourn.

“We are aware that it is impossible for all these graduates to make a living by working for the state government, but a good opportunity should be created for this teeming graduates.

“Against this backdrop, we want Mr. Governor to urgently review the Ogun State Job Portal which had hitherto been an avenue to connect prospective employees to their employers.

“This will ensure that many of these new companies recruit the best of graduates who had their formal post-secondary education in the state. The governor, by so doing, will write his name in gold in the mind of the parents, guardians as well as relatives of these graduates.

“We are confident that Governor Abiodun is sailing the ship of the state to a progressive shore and we are absolute and resolved to lend a helping by projecting the many good initiatives of this government to the outside world.”

They, however, hailed the governor for his recent investment trip to Egypt and other countries to woo more investors to state, noting the move would further sustain the legacy of making the Gateway State the “investors’ destination of choice”.