Unemployment, Poverty And Governance Questions In Nigeria: Human Capital Development And Partnership Approach Options

Abstract

The level of unemployment amongst the old and young people in Nigeria is not only outrageous but seemingly on the increase, notwithstanding the presence of all economic major resources together with several policies, programmes, and projects of successive administrations. Governments, at various levels, have adopted different measures to reduce unemployment and poverty rates with little or no significant effects. This study, therefore, attempts to focus mainly, on Human Capital Development (HCD) and Public Private Partnership as panacea to alleviating unemployment and poverty rate in Nigeria and Africa at large. To achieve its objective, the paper employs a secondary method of data collection and hence, the documentary method of analysis is adopted. Literature revealed that responsive governance – governance that responds to the plight and predicaments of the citizenry (unemployment and poverty) by investing in human capital development will in the end, not only produce men and women of creativity but entrepreneurs that will drive the economy by engaging their knowledge and skills in productive ventures. In addition, the adoption of Partnership Approach by the study canvassed the involvement of the private sector to actively participate in job creation that will lead to poverty alleviation. It is recommended that for an economy to thrive, governance should focus on the provision and sustenance of basic infrastructural facilities such as functional vocational institutions, quality education, and an enabling environment for the private sector’s ease of doing business.