Germany

By Aminu Mohammed

I must confess that I wrote this article due to a post made by a Facebook friend who just completed the NYSC scheme in Jigawa state. In the post made last week, he mentioned his readiness to fall back on his skill as an iron bender to fend for himself, pending when something better comes up.

I was impressed by his sense of reasoning and his zeal to drop his certificate and embrace a vocation to escape idleness and poverty. This has become apt given the current realities in Nigeria, where jobs are pretty limited and difficult to come by.

I know many people, especially recent graduates, will sneer at me for commending this young man for the courage to take responsibility for his own life. They may even wonder why I praised him for choosing to do a “menial job” below his status as a graduate.

But the reality today, coupled with the dwindling economy and limited opportunities for the teeming youths in the country, warranted me to write this article. The era of youths waiting for white-collar jobs is over. Many graduates are roaming the streets looking for elusive jobs. Typically, the few jobs available will be taken by the best candidates and those with a connection at the high places. Thus, most applicants are left with the option of either staying idle at home or embracing any vocation or skill to earn a living.

Let me clarify that I am not a motivational speaker, and neither do I claim to have a magic wand to turn silver to gold. But I believe in pragmatism, and the ability one has to achieve his goal if he has passion and works towards it. Passion is the only thing that can keep a man steadfast in his pursuit of success irrespective of the difficulties on his path. Your certificate will amount to nothing if you cannot shun pride and seek a means to earn a living.

I still recall my NYSC days nostalgically in the Numan, Adamawa state, 19 years ago. I did my primary assignment at Government Secondary School Pare, Numan, which gave me ample opportunity to engage in external activities. I kept myself busy outside school hours by selling clothes and shoes to augment the N7500 NYSC monthly allowance. I didn’t spend much out of my monthly stipend throughout the service year because my side business could cover my living expenses. I completed my NYSC in 2003 and engaged in various activities to earn a living for three years before I got my first job in August 2006.

During the service year in Adamawa state, I observed a stark difference in the mindset between some southern corps members that I interacted with and their northern counterparts. While some southern corps members engaged in all sorts of activities to earn income, some of their northern colleagues see those activities as demeaning to their status as graduates. Some of the southern corps members then decided to stay in Adamawa after the service year to continue their hustle, and many have prospered.

I still remember a friend we served in the same local government area, Mr Ifeanyi, a pharmacist from Anambra state. He did his primary assignment at the General Hospital, Numan and subsequently moved to Yola to set up a pharmacy after the service year. He was able to prosper a few years after the NYSC scheme due to his doggedness and zeal.

I decided to narrate this story to encourage our youth to shun pride and find a means or trade to improve their wellbeing. Acquiring education is just a means to enable you to unlock your potential. That you have a degree should not make you despise other vocations. Instead, find a work you are interested in and try to acquire the requisite skills to support yourself. Life after NYSC is tough, and the labour market is almost saturated due to many unemployed people seeking jobs.

I am not saying that our youth should focus only on entrepreneurship alone and abandon their certificate by not seeking jobs. Of course, not everybody has an inclination towards business and entrepreneurship. But for those that have no interest in entrepreneurship could learn other skills via the internet. Skills such as digital marketing, affiliate marketing, and web development are there for people interested in learning to earn an income.

In Germany, young people acquire skills in various fields through the vocational system popularly called “Ausbildung”. I admire the German Ausbildung system because a student attends school and works simultaneously. The student acquires theoretical and practical knowledge during the duration of the apprenticeship, which usually lasts three years. The training focuses on practical skills for actual work and includes several skills such as plumbing, software development, landscaping, mason, baking, painting, salesperson, nursing, care for the elderly, and electrician.

Those who completed the training earn very well just like their counterparts who obtained a degree in Germany. Ausbildung is highly valued in Germany, and the need for craftsmen is always on the rise here. German society has been structured so that virtually all jobs are accorded due respect. Nobody looks down on a painter, electrician, carpenter or mason in Germany, unlike what we do in Nigeria. Most of our youths, especially graduates from the North, shy away from doing those jobs as they see them as not befitting their status. Some prefer to remain idle at home while hoping to get a job. There is dignity in labour, and it is quite normal to see a female painter, mason or female plumber in cities across Germany.

Therefore, the onus is on the youth to follow their passion and strive to achieve their personal goals. Efforts should be placed on personal development through reading and skills acquisition. For instance, if you have an interest in baking, do not hesitate to go and learn it to support yourself, likewise any other skill. Life favours the meek and those who shun societal pressures and go after their passion and dream.

I will also urge our young men, especially new graduates, to leave their comfort zone. If you think that opportunities are very limited in your locality, there is no harm in moving to another city to take advantage of better opportunities there.

Do not hesitate to read good books, as it opens your mind to great possibilities. Scholarships are also available for those who are interested in studying abroad. You can use Google to search for scholarships in various universities across Europe, Asia, Canada and the United States. There are multiple scholarships worldwide for you to apply for, and there is no harm in trying. You could be lucky to get one if you meet the requirements and expectations even though it is highly competitive. Do not be discouraged if your application is rejected but continue to persevere and reapply to other scholarships. I also faced many rejections while seeking admission in Germany.

Take a look within your locality and find something to do. You can volunteer your time and energy to learn something new or even work on a farm. Don’t bother about what people will say; so far, you have a target and a dream of where you want to go. Try to get busy with something no matter how small it is, pending when you get the desired job. Remember that many big organisations and establishments that you see today started small several years ago. May Allah bless our hustle and efforts as we strive to achieve our goals this year.

Aminu Mohammed is at the school of Sustainability, Christian- Albrechts- Universität zu Kiel, Schleswig Holstein, Germany. He can be reached via gravity23n@gmail.com.

By Muhsin Ibrahim

German Chancellor Angela Merkel doesn’t need any introduction. Divorced and with a doctorate in Physics, Merkel, 67, has been a leader of Germany for sixteen years. She is the first woman to lead Europe’s economic powerhouse and the beacon of democracy.

Chancellor Merkel wanted to leave in 2016. However, many people, including world leaders, encouraged her to stay. With Donald Trump coming to power in the US, Brexit knocking on the door of the European Union and the smoke of refugee crises still smouldering, almost everyone knew that Merkel was the best in that crucial position. Thus, she re-contested in 2017 and, expectedly, won.

But, whatever has a beginning has an end. Germans go to poll tomorrow, Sunday 26, 2021, to elect Merkel’s successor. The electorates are practically voting for parties, not a particular candidate for the chancellery. The parties would, of course, want to have the majority to form a government, but it does not happen. Often if not always, a party will have to negotiate with another party – or even other parties – to have enough votes to appoint a chancellor in the Bundestag. The negotiations can take months.

There are three chief contestants from three major political parties. They are 60-year-old Armin Laschet (CDU/CSU), 40-year-old Annalena Baerbock (Greens) and 62-year-old Olaf Scholz (SPD). The first, Mr Laschet, is the current Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia (where Cologne is) and leader of Merkel’s party, CDU.

Despite Merkel’s endorsement of Mr Laschet, he is unlikely to win. It may surprise you to know that what may cause him this defeat is mere laughter. Deadly flooding killed people in Germany and some neighbouring countries in July. The President of Germany visited a town destroyed by the catastrophic flood. While the President was delivering a sombre speech, a camera caught Mr Laschet laughing behind him. Since that faux pas, many people have lost confidence in him.

Ms Baerbock is young, energetic and confident and started her campaign with a lot of optimism. Nonetheless, her party does not have enough clout to win nationally. But, that is not the real issue for their candidate. You may also find it astonishing to hear what has befallen Baerbock’s candidacy and tarnished her reputation. It was possible plagiarism and padding of her CV.

Olaf Scholz is Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Finance. So far, opinion polls favour his chances of succeeding Merkel. Unlike the two other leading contestants, he has almost no major ‘sin’ affecting his campaign. Moreover, his party, SPD, was in power until Merkel’s outstanding victory in 2005. Thus, they are thirsty for a win and are therefore doing everything possible to come back.

Frau Merkel will be greatly missed. People around the world will never forget her extraordinary benevolence during the 2015 refugee crisis. As a German resident with no right to vote yet, I wish for the best outcome in the elections. May we continue to live in peace and prosperity, amin.

Muhsin Ibrahim is a Nigerian. He studies and works at the Institute of African Studies and Egyptology of the University of Cologne. He can be reached via muhsin2008@gmail.com.

By Najib Ahmad, PhD.

Beyond doubt, you may have by now discerned that nearly everything you are using in your households, offices, and places of worship were made-in-China. A few weeks ago, I had a conversion with my friend and confidant, who told me that this China-made domination is manifested worldwide, even in Europe, where he lives. Hence, he no longer blames Nigeria for clinging to China-made products.

On another occasion, some German professors visited our research group (in China) two years ago. During lunch, one humorously told my former program supervisor that he thought even his shirt was made-in-China. We all laughed and continued eating. Unless you don’t know Germany, the European economic powerhouse, and the history of its industrialisation, this will startle you. Indeed, Germany is still technically capable and well industrialised, but Chinese products are ubiquitous there.

The question you may ask is: How did China achieve all this? I guess you are curious to have an insight into their progress. And how they catch up – sometimes even overtake or compete – with the most industrially advanced countries whose supremacy in this area was matchless within a short time? Their quest for financial power started ages ago, after the country’s opening-up in the 1970s by the then leader, Deng Xiaoping, otherwise known as the principal architect of China’s reform and significant foreign policy changes.

A former Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences at Harvard, Ezra F. Vogel, described the leader in his book, Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China, as the “man who most influenced China’s modern trajectory.” The central idea of his reform plans was nothing extraterrestrial. He only ensured that the ordinary Chinese population was enlightened (or educated) to the level they could create their path in a lifetime. He also superbly promoted China from “an agrarian society to the industrial powerhouse” (or manufacturing hub of the world). Beyond the shadow of a doubt, his projections have prospered in making China where it is today. The most important resolution was massive enlightenment. These resolutions have markedly shaped the trajectory of his policies to where they are today.

Provision of adequate and essential reading, writing, and good numeracy skills was the quintessence of the primary phase in their development journey. Thus, presently, you hardly encounter an older person who can neither read nor write or consider using a calculator for basic arithmetic summation (remarkable, right?). Although some reports show a few others are illiterates, especially in villages, it is a small percentage compared to the over a billion people who can. Moreover, there are all-women-operated shopping centres as the reform structure targeted women to prepare them for exceptional jobs. Many women work in hospitals now, especially in women-related matters.

The government of China sponsored children of low-income farmers and city workers to study in elite American and European universities. Some of these students specialised in sciences, applied sciences, technology, and other critical areas for China’s development. This scheme shaped the education development in China. At the same time, some of them remained in their newfound home. Today, five out of ten research papers from the European and American universities will have Chinese-sounding names. They are also in many places working on state-of-the-art science and technology. This was part of the product of the policies made on education about a century ago.

Many others joined various newly founded public universities and colleges all over China to teach and train young students. According to Statista, as of 2019, China has the largest education system globally, with 2688 public universities and colleges, a mixture of central (or federal), provincial (or state), and local government-owned institutions. Out of these institutions, 1,423 are higher vocational colleges. According to reports from the Chinese Ministry of Education, privately owned vocational colleges reached about 300 in 2021. Yet, they looked for more to provide jobs and ultimately boost the country’s economy.

In retrospect, you can see that China’s quest for economic supremacy started with excellent policies favouring education. It continues to this day. New policies were implemented and sustained in educating the society, for example, policies like a free nine-year compulsory quality education for primary and junior secondary schools.

Again, one of China’s leading, perhaps secret, ingredients for unprecedented technological developments is its total commitment to vocational education training at all levels. Vocational colleges (higher institutions) and vocational schools (secondary schools) have undoubtedly contributed to the record economic growth in China. They are the fundamental and out of sight driver and catalyst of their economy. They have produced craftspersons with skills that supported the country in job specialisations such as electrician, mechanic, computer technician, carpenter, tailor, beautician, chef, welder, fabricator, product designer, bus driver, and electric train driver, among others.

The government’s commitment to funding and sustaining vocational training schools have vastly invigorated the manufacturing capacity you see in China today. Subsequently, most foreign brands like Apple, Unilever, Nike, Zara, Mercedes-Benz, General Motors, and many more produce China-made products. The availability of highly-skilled workforce is another reason those brands go to China, among other benefits. Unfortunately, time and space will not permit me to mention them here. However, the reward of sound policies on enlightenment to a society and its propensity is ostensibly enormous. And above all, the government has significantly reduced poverty among its people and improved their livelihoods.

We can learn from the above that enlightening everyone, at least, to the level that they can read and write and get numeracy skills, even if it is in their native language. So doing is vital for the prosperity of society and the country at large. Sometimes, not everyone could have profound education. Suppose everyone you meet in the market, other places in Nigeria could read and write in their native languages. Undoubtedly, our growth and development as a society would be in a better direction than our current condition. Lack of these skills for everybody contributes to our lack of progress, absence of skilled workers, failure of industries, among other ills bedevilling our societies in Nigeria.

As the government is founding new universities year-round, they should consider establishing vocational colleges. As I see these days, the National University Commission (NUC) issue license to many private universities nationwide. Individuals can similarly step in to establish private vocational training colleges. It is not always that everything rests on the shoulder of the government. We need to take these few but critical steps to reset the collective societal future of Nigeria. Implementing them could set a new stage for self-directed youths equipped with the required skills to assist Nigeria’s economic growth, particularly at one of the worst phases of the country’s financial crisis, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and poor governance.

Dr Najib Ahmad is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Shandong University, China. He can be contacted via namuhammad03@gmail.com.