The rate of unemployment in Nigeria has geometrically increased beyond available opportunities. This has led to a high number of citizens jostling for jobs and migrating to the cities and urban areas in search of white-collar jobs. Youths who were once famers or artisans suddenly leave the rural areas to seek for placements.
According to definition, a white-collar job is carried out in an office setting and involves clerical, administrative or managerial duties. Some examples of industries with white-collar jobs include technological, accounting, marketing and consulting. The term ‘white-collar’ refers to the white shirts that many of these professionals traditionally wear.
Unemployment in Nigeria growing geometrically
According to available statistics, in 2020, the estimated youth unemployment rate in Nigeria was at almost 14.2 percent.
The data are estimates from the International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations developing policies to set labor standards.
The youth unemployment rate refers to the percentage of the unemployed in the age group of 15-24 years as compared to the total labor force.
Rural-Urban migration and the erroneous belief in success in the cities
The quest for better standard of living among rural dwellers especially the youths has led to many parents approving that their young ones, after their teenage years, migrate to the cities, leaving their farms. This drive leaves huge stigma for families whose children are left behind in the villages.
It is a common belief that there is guaranteed success when one leaves to the city. The migrant is given a short period to start manifesting financial success. This belief, when gone wrong, leaves many frustrated and desperate to spend like others during festive periods. The result is usually negative association with like minds and eventual criminality.
The sojourn for such ‘quick success’ pushes the teeming youths into cities like Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan and other big cities with high concentration of offices.
Armed with minimum qualifications such as Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSCE), Ordinary National Diploma (OND), and with sizeable percentage acquiring Degrees, they flood offices in search of available jobs.
It is a common saying in Lagos that no one is welcomed into the Centre of Excellence (as Lagos is fondly called).
The reverse is the case as migrants arriving Lagos are welcomed by three statues saying ‘This is Lagos’.
Josephine Ikeduru is a Lagos based human resource manager.
She spoke on the challenges of staff recruitment for brands.
“I have been working as a recruiting agent for companies for five years now and have noticed that the desire to do white-collar jobs is too high.
“So many do not even care about the amount they would take home. All they want is just office work,” she added.
Speaking further, she shared her experience during a job shortlisting.
“I remember one day I helped a company recruit admin staff. We advertised for only three slots and other one thousand came for the interview.
“The truth is there are no jobs anywhere and it is alarming how many people want to work for any amount,” she lamented.
Prerequisites, the dividing line, and popular demand
A blue-collar job, as compared to white-collar jobs, has to do with manual or trade-related labor.
So many companies and industries in the country offer blue-collar jobs which include retail, manufacturing, food service and construction.
Reports say the term originated in the 1920s when these types of employees wore durable fabrics like denim or chambray, which were often blue in color to assist in concealing dirt or grease due to the nature of their work.
While these descriptions, as they apply to attire, may no longer be accurate in present-day work environments, white-collar and blue-collar employees continue to operate in distinctly different environments, performing two different types of jobs.
While the crave for jobs by youths push them into more demands for white-collar jobs, such jobs however demand higher qualifications as compared to the blue-collar jobs, which require some skills and short-term trainings.
So many of the blue-collar personnel are products of apprenticeship programs, not short practical courses.
Another distinction is that while the white-collar jobs take place in formal office settings, which can also be done from homes on laptops and social media, the blue-collar jobs take place in warehouses, workshops and other similar settings.
While the global community adjusted to the changes made to the global business atmosphere with lockdowns and social distancing, there have been series of job cuts as many had adapted to working online and reducing physical presence at offices.
Despite these impediments, the struggle for white-collar jobs did not reduce.
Tunde Akanni, a sawmill worker in Lagos, shared his experience with his graduate kid brother.
He said: “My younger brother graduated from the university as a Mechanical Engineer some years ago.
“I advised him to set up a welding company and be on his own but he declined and mentioned big companies where he wished to work.
“When he insisted, I left him to his decision. As I speak with you he is coming to my workshop daily to collect money for food, no job yet.”
“This is one problem facing youths in the country at the moment,” Akanni added.
Akanni’s account is similar to that of an okada man, who prefers to be called SK.
He said: “I was working as administrative officer in a micro finance bank in Osogbo.
“People thought I was earning good pay but didn’t know I survived on some office based loans.
“My life turned upside down when the bank closed down and I didn’t have anything to fall back on.
“I had to learn Keke (tricycle) riding and changed location. Today, when I see people with shirt and tie, I pity for them,” SK added.
Many would wonder why there are more cravings for white-collar jobs as against entrepreneurship or skills despite the shortfall in available openings and paltry offers.
This brings to mind the bugging question ‘How white are white-collar jobs?
