Parliamentarians in Nigeria have urged the federal government to consider automatic employment for first-class graduates of Nigerian universities and other institutions.
This followed the unanimous adoption of a motion by Emeka Chinedu (APC-Imo) at the plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.
Presenting the motion, Chinedu expressed concerns over the lack of employment for many Nigerian graduates, especially first-class degree holders, causing brain drain as many are forced to seek greener pastures abroad.
“This is in spite of the fact that graduates with lower grades get the option of first refusal in getting jobs due to their connections in some places,” he stated.
Chinedu said that Nigerian universities churn out hundreds of first-class graduates yearly, saying that only a handful of them secure jobs.
According to him, graduating with such high grades in any Institution of learning is an indication of a top-grade brain.
He added that automatic employment for such graduates would motivate undergraduates to work harder for success.
Speaking against the motion, Abdurrazak Namdaz (APC-Adamawa), said a first class graduate might not necessarily be the most qualified person for a particular job.
Babangida Ibrahim (APC-Katsina) said granting automatic employment for first-class graduates might corrupt Nigeria’s academia.
Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila said that granting automatic employment for first-class graduates would bolster academic excellence among Nigerian students.
When the motion was put to voice vote by the speaker, the lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion.