TheCable

You gain admission into a public university and you have a plan — to study a four-year course, serve your fatherland and begin your pursuit of favour in the labour market in your mid-20s. However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has other plans. 

After a series of industrial actions, you end up spending six years for a four-year course and by the time you begin hunting for the scarce jobs, you are faced with requirements you do not possess — three years experience and not above 27 years old — but you’re 28 and have no relevant working experience.

The scenario above is and will be the story of many Nigerian students. These protracted strikes by ASUU — 16 since the return of democracy in 1999 — have several ripple effects including an increase in dropouts, crime rates, and unemployment.

In this episode, Jam Jam and The Honourable are joined by Akintunde Babatunde, deputy director of development practice, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, to discuss how these incessant and prolonged industrial actions pose challenges for Nigerian students seeking entry-level jobs and how they can make the best of the situation.

Click here to listen on Google Podcast and Anchor FM. You can also access all of our previous episodes.

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