BY:

AKIN ONORIODE COLLINS

36 OLD UGHELLI/WARRI ROAD,

P. O. BOX 108,

AGBARHO – DELTA STATE,

NIGERIA.

TEL: +2348053228176

E-MAIL: akinonoriodecollins@yahoo.com

GO-GREEN INITIATIVE

USING JATROPHA USING JATROPHA PLANT AS FEEDSTOCK PLANT AS FEEDSTOCK

FOR BIOFUEL FOR BIOFUEL PRODUCTIONPRODUCTION

· Project Name: Make it Work, How Can YOUTH fight YOUTH unemployment

· Team Name: Go-Green Initiative

· Country: Nigeria

· School: Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun – Delta State, Nigeria.

· Mentor (if applicable)

Government embrace of go-green initiate Government embrace of go-green initiate

(Agriculture)(Agriculture)

Employment Employment

kidnapping

Robbery

Fraud

Oil pipelin

e theft

Massive across border Migration

Youth restiveness

Rural-urban drifting

Poverty Poverty

Is it a real problem of unemployment?The effects and consequence of youth unemployment in Nigeria is a real syndrome that is eating deep into the national economy, and have given birth to new waves of diverse crimes, which include kidnapping, robbery, fraud, oil pipeline destruction, cybercrime, youth restiveness and a lot more. The youth are engage in the aforementioned acts due to the high rate of unemployment after graduating from the Universities in order to meet up with personal needs and livelihood.

How serious is it?It is very serious problem because the rapid growth rate of youth unemployment in the country is inclining the poverty rate and it has crippled the nation economy and output.

What is the situation in your country, region, town? The situation at Agbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, in Niger Delta region which is counted among the minority region in Nigeria has suffers the unemployment disease due to marginalization of the region and neglect by government, Delta State is an oil producing state in Nigeria, but there is no jobs opportunity, the state government has placed embargo on civil service employment since 2010 and the oil jobs is not easily come by.

What is the age/gender/education/background of affected people?The government policy on employment is another factor that is affecting the youth, for instance an advert for a civil servant job, will required a fresh graduate to have 8 – 10 years experience, and the applicant should not be more than 25years old, how on earth can someone have 8-10years experience at the age of 25years. Majority of persons graduate from the university at the age of 22 – 30years depend on the family background.

Are you or your peers affected? I and my peers are directly affected by this unemployment problem.

Is there evidence of brain drain?The evidence of brain drain is established because of the graduates are involve in so many menial jobs in neighbouring countries and some have migrated to western countries in search of greener pastures. Other who could not leave the countries engaged themselves with crimes and illegal business. Who is leaving the country, where are they going and why?Due to the high rate of unemployment, many youth have migrate to neighbouring Africa countries like Ghana, South Africa, Europe and USA in the name of finding a greener pasture. Migration of youth also extends its tentacles to rural-urban drifting, leaving agriculture in the hands of the old and weak. This has in turns create food security and shortage of agricultural raw materials for production purpose has shot its peak in term of price and gives rise to high price of finish goods.

DISCOVER

What are the causes of this problem? The causes of youth unemployment in Nigeria, particularly in the form of graduate

unemployment, has become pronounced in the last two decades due primarily to upsurge in the output from tertiary education and inelastic labour absorptive capacity of the Nigerian labour market for the services of university and polytechnic graduates. Below are some causes of unemployment in Nigeria• The neglect of agriculture by government• The mono product of the economy by relying on petroleum• Managerial incapability, • Effort duplication, • Unaccountability,• Low quality of training inputs, • Inadequate funding, • Policy inconsistency and poor governance, • Unwieldy scope of programmes and ineffective targeting of beneficiaries

Who is responsible for this situation?Government is the cause of this situation by not engaging youth in agricultural scheme

which is the pyramid of employment for all youth.

· Do the reasons lie in inappropriate educational curricula, ways to obtain skills and experiences, or are this more because of the overall economic environment?

The reasons lie in inappropriate educational curricula which are regulated and control by the government, if properly regulated by government to ensure youth to get involved in Agricultural activities during the one year of serving the nation, a programme which is known as National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

Government embrace of go-green initiate Government embrace of go-green initiate

(Agriculture)(Agriculture)

Employment Employment

Increase

d

productivit

y

Creativity

&

innovation

Increased export

market

Stable Economy

Massive input of foreign investors

Youth Development

Manpower increase

Sustainable energy and biofuel fuel (green fuel)

Human capital and wealth Human capital and wealth creationcreation

Solved cl

imate

change

problem

SOLUTION

Economic growth is not the only solution to curb unemployment in Nigeria, as the official statistics illustrate that previously unemployment did not always decline with the economic growth. Other solutions such as the provision of right skills to the people to help them tackle the problems and lead a more prosperous life should also be given importance, especially in the agricultural sector which is a bedrock of employment for both private and public stakeholders.

HOW WOULD YOUR SOLUTION LOOK LIKE?My solution involve planting, harvesting, hulling, extraction of jatropha oil from seeds by extraction and transterification for biofuel production. So therefore the process of planting to marketable product of jatropha will create more enough job opportunities. This solution will equally solve climate change problem because Jatropha is a carbon sink, two (2) plants will help to absorb 1 metric ton of carbon from the environment, so therefore if more youth re engaged in such project more hectares of land will be cultivated and emitted carbon in the atmosphere will be reduce by jatropha plant which is a carbon sink plant.

WHAT WOULD BE THE TIMELINE?The timeline for a jatropha plant to start bearing fruits is 8months to 1year and once planted it can be harvested for 50years.

HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE YOUR SUCCESS?I will measure my success by ensuring that rural youth are involve in the planting activities to harvest and this will help to reduce rural-urban drifting that is making the cities over populated. I will equally checkmate my success with the crime rate, and the impact of climate change effects. Environmental friendly biofuel which will be a substitute to fossil fuel (crude) and this will create income to every youth involve in cultivation of jatropha plant.

WHAT WOULD BE THE OUTCOMES AND RESULTS OF YOUR SOLUTION?

The outcomes and result of my solution will revolve around the economics importance of the plant which include the following;• Biodiesel production ( with better emission)• Soap making • Production of Pesticide• Production of ink• Dye and tanning production• Production of gum• Control climate change due to reduction in air pollution• Organic fertilizer• Herbal tooth brush• Treatment of skin disease(seed Oil)• To stop bleeding (Stem sap flowing)• Antimicrobial property (Latex)And this will help to create employment opportunities for young graduates in urban and non-graduates in rural areas.

· YOUNG UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE REACHED?Young unemployed people can be reached through the Local Government Area Council, Radio, Television Broadcast and Social Network like facebook, twitter, ypard network etc.

· YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGEDYoung people will be engaged in agricultural seminars using planting of jatropha as the key to youth unemployment, economy growth and to embrace go-green initiative which will help to curb the problem of environment and climate change. · HOURS SPENT ON PROJECT/ACTION72 hours

WHAT IS THE TARGET GROUP YOU ARE HELPING AND WHY?The target group I will help are graduate youth and non graduate youth living in urban and rural area, and I wish to help them because Jatropha as a feedstock for biofuel production project required skilled and unskilled personnel from the field to the production plant.