by Nduka Odo

Recently I participated in the recruitment exercises of the Nigeria Breweries. There was no centre in the whole of South East and I had to choose between Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt.

Unemployment is already so high, glaring at our faces no matter where we turn and that does not deserve my time to write about here right now. But as people are crying for that, the few job opportunities available are turning out to siphon whatever the job seekers use in feeding themselves and the pattern is so inappropriate.

I have observed for some time now how big organizations in Nigeria carry out their recruitment exercise. They conduct their job interviews in only three cities in Nigeria: Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt; leaving out the rest of the states and cities and regions. This means that anyone who wants to attend an interview or a test for job opportunities has to move to the three centres.

Recently I participated in the recruitment exercises of the Nigeria Breweries. There was no centre in the whole of South East and I had to choose between Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt. I did not know anybody in Abuja or Port Harcourt, so I chose Lagos because I know a distant cousin living there. I left Enugu three days before the Ability Test and ended up spending two days on the road because of the Enugu-Onitsha and Benin-Lagos express ways.

Two weeks later, after I got home, a media house invited me for an interview. I could not attend because first, the interview was to be held only in Lagos and Abuja. Secondly, travelling to Lagos or Abuja costs an amount of money an unemployed person could not afford twice in two weeks.

Before, I used to think that it was only corporate organizations and oil companies resident only in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt that did this. But, government agencies, departments, commissions and ministries are also culprit to this crime; but these bodies recruiting for its wards, local governments, states and federal offices in Nigeria also stated that its test centres are only in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt.

What about centres in South East, North East and North West? Are these job opportunities not meant for every Nigerian? If they are meant for everybody, equal opportunity should be given to all to compete.

Some people who are well qualified for the job will not even attend because they cannot afford the transport fare needed to get to the test or interview centre. I can’t see the reason why a person who is to be employed in a local government in Borno state has to travel all the way to Abuja to attend the interview. Or, the reason a person to be employed in a branch of a bank in Nsukka has to travel to Port Harcourt or Lagos to attend the interview.

This leads me to think that leaders, in government and private organisations, are very insensitive to the plight of people in need. Insensitivity is a lenient word, but heartlessnrss is better. Anybody who cares will never allow an unemployed person to spend such amount and pass through the hell called roads of Enugu to Lagos distance to attend an interview or test which it is certain that only very few will succeed.

I am not saying that recruiters should pay test or interview allowances to job seekers (even though it is not out of place in some nations). What I am saying is that overconcentration on Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano does not help matter for job seekers living outside these places. All activities in Nigeria must not be scheduled to these cities. Nigeria is made up six geopolitical zones and activities need to reflect that. This time, it is not for political purposes but to help young Nigerians seeking vacancies to get jobs without spending more than they have. Even if the jobs cannot be brought closer to people living outside Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt; let the test or interview not cost them so much in transportation and stress.

Government, corporations, companies, non-government organizations, individuals, who are employers of labour should please decentralize not only their job interview centres, but also their activities. I can remember while undergraduates, my class would approach banks and telecommunication companies to sponsor our activities in the campus and they would tell us that they could not do anything until approved in Lagos. That is the same thing happening in employment in Nigeria.

It is unfair, imbalance, improper, inequitable, unwarranted, unhealthy, unmerited, undue, unreasonable, undeserved, wrong and uncharacteristic to the unity we want to build in our diversity.

Lagos is already congested, but still every year we see many graduates of different higher institutions from different regions bound to Lagos in search of whatever greener pasture available in the country. Recently, I asked a corps member friend on Facebook chat where his destination would be after national service. He answered what about Enugu his home state and which is where he grew up and did all levels of his education. His answer was simple: there are few corporate organizations in the city compared to Lagos. That is true because more than 80 percent of corporate organisations in the country have their headquarters in Lagos. All banks are headquartered in Lagos. All major breweries, headquartered in Lagos. All major factories, oil companies, government agencies, etc.

There is nothing wrong in their having their head offices in Lagos. By the way, Lagos is the commercial centre capital of Nigeria. But, that is not reasonable enough to schedule all activities of a nation in one or very few places. God forbid, but if anything should happen to Lagos, Nigeria will collapse economically.

Government should put a policy in place not just to correct the insensitive recruitment pattern but also to ensure expanded development across the nation. If you are travelling to Lagos, for instance from Benin City, all you will see is forest until you get into Lagos suburb.

When this expanded development is achieved, one will not have to travel from region to region to attend job test and interview, except for people who want to relocate. This is how it is in many nations where some call it employment exchange. There should be recruitment centres in all the states or at least in the six regions established and managed by government agencies. This will bring corporations and employers closer to those seeking jobs. These centres will host tests and interviews for massive recruitments. The centres will serve as designated points for job seekers to go for notification.

This, in addition, will eliminate or reduce employment scams. When job seekers know where to call for a test and interview and notifications or which websites to get authentic information, they will not fall prey to scammers. Also, it should not be an opportunity for some individuals to steal public funds. There are government agencies which this should fall into their functions.

When this platform is established, it will go a long way to alleviate the financial burden incurred by job seekers and also engineer a generational paradigm that ensure smooth transition of our graduates from higher institutions to employment.

——————————–

Nduka Odo is a graduate seeking employment

 

Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.