SLC-S29/W1-“Thinking and Ideas!| If You Were in Charge!”

I believe leadership is not all about having all the answers; but having the courage to face problems head-on and make uncomfortable decisions that are necessary. If I were allowed to rule my country (Nigeria) for a year, I would not pretend that I could fix everything. However, I would focus on one pressing issue that silently fuels many others and that is Unemployment. There's a wise saying that "an idle man is a devil's workshop," and Nigeria today, including my city Uyo, has become a breeding venue for crime, frustration, poverty, and hopelessness. This is why unemployment would be my first and most urgent task to address.

Permit me to share my experience with you: Last November, my State government announced an open employment exercise for 2000 graduates only, and guess how many applied and took the test; hmm, nearly 40,000 applicants, this shows that the system is already under pressure. But what makes it truly alarming is that people in their 50s who graduated 20-30years ago applied too, chasing for entry level opportunities meant for freshers. Well, if you asked me, that's not ambition, but survival. It tells painful stories of years spent without a stable, meaningful income and talents that were never properly utilized in the economy.

This raises a frightening question: how long can our society function like this? Tell me if people who should be mentoring, investing, or preparing for retirement are still searching for basic employment, then the cycle is broken. The truth is that younger graduates are blocked, and older ones are exhausted, and frustration keeps piling up across generations. Note this kind of unemployment is systemic and not temporary. I hope my reflection shows you why unemployment is urgent.

Yes, it's not about joblessness, rather it's about wasted years, lost productivity, crushed dignity, and delayed dreams. A nation or community cannot keep millions idle for decades and expect growth, peace, or moral stability, recalled the wise saying I quoted before, “an idle man is the devil’s workshop.” This has become a national emergency! Yes unemployment is a ticking bomb that's is why I would urgently treat it to mitigate its consequences for individuals, families and the entire country.

From the above example, you can see with me that my country, Nigeria, is blessed with a large, energetic population, yet millions wake up every day with no meaningful work to do. A lot of people have degrees, skills, and talents but no opportunities to grab. They're willing to work but there's none, as such desperation sets in. This is why Armed robbery, kidnapping, cultism, drug abuse, and political violence are thriving because unemployment is high, and people are doing anything for survival. So I would not only be creating jobs but restoring dignity, purpose, and hope to the people.

Well, you may ask why choose unemployment over other serious issues like insecurity, corruption, or poor infrastructure, it's because unemployment is the root of many of them. A jobless youth is more likely to join criminal groups and be manipulated by selfish corrupt politicians. When people have decent work and earn a good living, crime will reduce at least by 50% if not more, families will become stable and communities will be safer. Employment will increase productivity and tax revenue. Then I would use the revenue to improve other areas like education, health, and infrastructure. The thing is that if people are engaged productively many other problems will be solved naturally.

The difficult decision I would make is to cut down government waste and redirect the funds to compulsory national skills and job creation programs. Sorry, I would reduce most politicians' allowances and privileges, especially those of the Senators, Ministers, the House of Representatives, and the President's too. This would be a hard one, though, because I know the current system would strongly resist it.

I would introduce a nationwide "work to build Nigeria program," where unemployed youths will be trained and engaged in agriculture, technology, manufacturing, environmental sanitation, and community development. It will be a must to join, especially for unemployed citizens. I would pay them a monthly Stipend. I would reduce the excessive spending by government officials on luxuries and channel the money into small business grants and startup support for young entrepreneurs.

I would be honest while explaining this decision to people who would disagree with me. I would show empathy and communicate clearly. I would let them know that leadership sometimes demands sacrifice for greater results. I would explain to them that the funds that would be redirected will not be wasted but invested in people directly. I would assure citizens that what I'm doing is not punishment but empowerment.

It's often said that leadership is demonstrated by example, so as I mentioned earlier, I would cut my own benefits first, as well as those of top officials, to show sacrifice. I will be transparent, making regular reports on progress with open data, and I'll ensure that I have channels for public feedback. People will feel involved and can see how funds are being used and the progress being made.

To those who will argue that 1 year is too short to solve unemployment, well, I can't agree more with them, but I would remind them that leadership is all about starting a strong foundation. It's not just realistic to completely eliminate unemployment within a year but I can reduce it significantly, and then create a sustainable system and mindset of productivity away from dependency. Partnership with both the private sector, local industries, and international organizations will be prioritized during this tenure to ensure continuity even after I step down.

Okay, before I drop my pen here, note that if I were in charge for only a year in Nigeria, unemployment would be my number 1 priority because an idle society cannot prosper. When people are involved meaningfully they thrive, gain confidence, purpose, and hope for the future. Jobs not only put food on our table, but they also bring peace and stability to the community. I believe that true leadership is not always about pleasing everyone, but making bold decisions that will secure a better tomorrow. By tackling unemployment, I would be choosing to build a better Nigeria where citizens will no longer be surviving, but truly living and contributing to national growth. Thank you 🙏

I'm inviting my friends @eliany @max-pro and @dove11 to join this contest.

I made the images with canva app.