The Effect Of Employment Discrimination In Polytechnic Graduates In Nigeria

1.0. INTRODUCTION

Employment discrimination on Polytechnic graduates in Nigeria can be seen as a situation whereby the Polytechnic graduates are not been employed, or simply put, it is an ugly situation connected with a wide disparity between HND and B.Sc holders in Nigeria. The issue of employment discrimination in Nigeria is a continuous issue to the Polytechnic graduates, community, society and even the government. Infact, it is an ugly situation facing the Polytechnic graduates in Nigeria and sometimes results to demoralization among prospective students. The rate of Polytechnic discrimination is employment or at the labour market in Nigeria is quiet high since the mid 80s and the inception of oil boom.

According to Nwatu (2006) a survey carried out by the center for investment sustainable development, management and environment in 1998 gave the feature of employment discrimination (unemployment) which hitherto was noticed lately started to emerge graduates discrimination:

1) Nigeria has a total environment of about 600,000 students in 149 tertiary institutions in 1996/1997 academic year.

2) There were 123,000 graduates in 1995/1996 session and about 130,000 graduates in 1997.

3) Cumulatively, Nigeria produced a total number of 1,110,000 graduates from tertiary institutions and about 10% that is 100,000 graduates were formally employed, one million might be openly employed or underemployed.

Nwadiani (1991) in lecture, said that “Employment discrimination had led to status frustration”. He went further to explain that parents sent their children to school and at the end  of the day; the graduates are thrown into the labour market for a long period of time. Parents send their children to school and struggle to train them because they know that the progress of any country is directly related to the educational level of its people, again the level of economic development depends on the excellence of the educated ones in the country.

The problem of employment discrimination started in early sixties, when Nigeria had oil. At that time, Nigeria had abundant resources that Gowon when about building sky crapers, having developmental plans, paying the workers of west India and training the awards of Tanzania  and embarking on frivolous payment of Udoji’s Award (Ibude, 1996). Gowon misused Nigeria resources so much that he once said “Nigeria has money but how to spend it as the problem” 

Murtala took over from Gowon and at that time, the economy of the nation was in shamble, but it has not degenerated to that of employment discrimination (unemployment). For the Polytechnic, university and NCE graduates were interviews on the eve of graduation and most of them ended up with three or four choice of job or employment opportunities. At that time, there was no dichotomy between state and federal job. 

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE INSTITUTION UNDER STUDY. NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF EMPLOYMENT (NDE) 

According to officers of National Directorate of Employment Headquarters of Lagos, it is notices that Nigeria unemployment population since 1980 has a growing rate of two and half million.

The figure of employment discrimination (unemployment) comprises mainly the youth. This situation was becoming alarming when in 1986, the federal government appointed a committee to deliberate on strategies of dealing with the prevailing unemployment problem. It was on the recommendation of this committee that national directorate of employment was formed by president Babangida of January 30, 1987. the fact of lack of skills among these literate unemployed youths makes a case against the undeserved deficiency in the educational policy and system, thereby giving rise and impetus to the make up, driven National Directorate of employment that have the following objectives:

1) To encourage self employment after training.

2) To develop a pool of potential entrepreneur that are well equipped to manage their own small scale industries

3) To upgrade the status of Nigeria youths

4) To reduce the dependency on government and large firms for salaries employment. 

5) To stimulate rural development.

Statistical figure from (NDE) headquarters Lagos as reported by Ezeolisah (1991) showed that about 209,735 people have been attached to training organization since the programme which took off as at May (1997, 1999) of these people have graduates of which 8,000 have set up their own business and each of them in expended to employ as least two persons.

However, since the inception of the directorate, it has not been dwindling, though several people are today self employed, there are still many others roaming about the streets.

Ezeolisah (1991) quoted NDE director Alhaji Umar by saying that directorate cannot possibly provide job for all the unemployed in a situation where our educational institution keep  producing thousands of graduates each year.

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM 

In the course of this research work, there were lots of problems discovered to be associated with employment discrimination on Polytechnic on Polytechnic graduates in Nigeria which can be stated thus:

1) Why are the Polytechnic graduates discriminated?

2) What led to the discrimination of the graduates?

3) Is this problems of employment discrimination of the graduates’ national policy or is it an organizational issue?

4) What are the effects of this employment discrimination on the perspective applicant and as well as our nation Nigeria?