Saheed Fijabi, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives argues that employers are harming the growth of their country by using age limits.
Mr Fijabi said that Employers should be more concerned about skill and competence rather than age. He also noted that the House had passed a motion criticising employers who placed age limit on graduates before they could be offered certain jobs.
Age discrimination in the workplace in Nigeria
The House of Representatives is currently considering a bill that would ban age discrimination in employment.
“We are bringing a bill that will stop age barriers because age should not be the requirement employers should be looking for before a graduate can be employed; it should be skill and competence.”
Mr Fijabi wants to ensure that the interest of the youth was protected and promised to ensure that they were not let down.
“I am also a youth and I represent their interest. I know what it is to be jobless because I have been there too. I will ensure that the interest of young people is taken into consideration through other means of empowerment rather than rely solely on government jobs.”
National Youth Service Corps in Nigeria
Mr Fijabi also spoke about the reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Mr Fijabi wants to reposition the NYSC, adding that rather than scrap the scheme it should be strengthened.
“NYSC is important, though some are calling for it to be scrapped.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is an organisation set up by the Nigerian government to involve the country's graduates in the development of the country. Since 1973 graduates of universities and Polytechnics have been required to take part in the NYSC program for one year. "Corp" members are posted to cities far from where they grew up. They are expected to mix with people of other tribes, social and family backgrounds, to learn the culture of the indigenes in the place they are posted to. The scheme aims to bring about unity in the country and to help youths appreciate other ethnic groups.
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