Unemployment may be a global problem but, it is evident and ravages developing nations the most, which Nigeria is recognized as one. It has attracted different interventions and programs from both the public and private sectors, but there seems to be no sustainable solution yet. How many jobs are available for the number of graduates our educational institutions churn out yearly? How many businesses have the capacity to employ and pay decent salaries and wages? What about the uneducated or educationally disadvantaged in our society, how do we ensure that they become meaningfully and economically engaged? These and many other questions on the living standards and wellbeing of the citizens are begging for answers. Ideally, this underpins the basic needs of an “ordinary” citizen, every citizen deserves access to opportunities that will help them to meet their basic needs. Experts have said to create jobs that would absorb the mass of unemployed persons in the country, government at all levels must create an enabling environment. The natural question to ask is, what is an enabling environment?
In most countries that overcame acute unemployment, there were various incentives that were deliberately created by the government to buoy inertia entrepreneurial capabilities. In today’s world, therefore, entrepreneurship has never been more important than it is today in this time of crisis. At the same time, society faces massive global challenges that extend well beyond the economy. Innovation and entrepreneurship provide a way forward for solving the global challenges of the 21stcentury, building sustainable development, creating jobs, generating renewed economic growth, and advancing human welfare. Entrepreneurship can be a societal change agent, a great enabler in all sectors. Not everyone needs to become an entrepreneur to benefit from entrepreneurship but all members of society need to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit. Nigeria must create business environments that are conducive to encouraging entrepreneurial ways of thinking and behaving. Entrepreneurship should be a mindset, not just a pursuit. Entrepreneurship is a sure way to bring fulfillment to the aspiration of an individual, and a major weapon to curbing unemployment, poverty and underdevelopment problems in any country. It has become imperative and beyond making policies but having the political will and drive required in ensuring that government at all levels create enabling environment for businesses to thrive while also making necessary infrastructure workable for businesses to achieve return on investment. Conclusively, government at all levels must have a robust and continuous plan and strategy to engage all the stakeholders both in the formal and informal sector in a way that encourages them to create opportunities for the ever-growing population of the unemployed in our society.
