Whenever I drive through Monrovia Street, with the intention of parking, I have two options, either to get into the massive Hazina Towers (formerly Nakumatt Lifestyle building) basement parking, or park along the street and pay kanjo (City Hall askaris).
Others have the option of leaving their cars under the care of young men who hang around the parking spaces on the condition that they are tipped for their services.
The latter option is unsafe, but good if you are late or you are rushing and you desperately need parking space.
I used to wonder about this latter option, and why so many boys who are youth opt to be parking attendants and gatekeepers of government parking space.
But, I am not surprised anymore; I actually empathise with these street youth. They are basically unemployed, trying to make an honest living, in as much as this is wrong.
I am also more than certain that many African countries have a similar situation, mainly due to the scarcity of jobs. Youth unemployment remains one of the biggest challenges facing economies worldwide, especially in mama Africa with its growing youth bulge.
Sadly, thousands of the youth are struggling to find meaningful work. Without intervention, this crisis threatens to fuel even more poverty, crime, rebellion and social instability.
Therefore, the government and business organisations must take urgent and coordinated action to provide a structured path to addressing unemployment.
This will ensure young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds such as the street youth I encounter everyday, are not left behind.
African governments have a responsibility to create an enabling environment for youth employment. Already, the Kenya Kwanza administration is investing in education and vocational training.
This leads to the question: is the education learners receive fully aligned with labour market demands.
There are many instances where young people leave school without the practical skills employers require.
Our educational programmes, both in high school and tertiary institutions, should carefully meet industry requirements, to ensure employers get what they need and the youth are confident in the skills.
A good example applicable to Anglophone and Francophone is having French and English languages taught universally in African countries for more seamless communication.
More emphasis should be placed on the ever-changing technology as a crucial skill for the youth.
Additionally, the government
could offer incentives for businesses
to hire young workers by offering tax
breaks and wage subsidies, which
could encourage more companies to
provide opportunities for first-time
job seekers.
