By Idowu Ephraim Faleye +2348132100608
The debate around locating an EFCC office in Ekiti State is far bigger than just setting up another government agency. What started as a simple talk about fighting crime has now turned into a serious conversation about jobs, youth empowerment, education, values, and the future of our local economy. Some people argue that having the EFCC around has ruined small businesses that used to survive on money spent by internet fraudsters. On the other hand, many insist that no society should ever build its economy on stolen money. Between these two sides lies a real chance for the people of Ekiti to look in the mirror and think deeply about the choices that brought us here and the ones that will shape our future.
Those who complain about the EFCC’s presence raise a point that many people relate to, which is that thousands of young graduates have no jobs. They ask a simple question: if the government cannot provide employment for all the graduates finishing school every year, what options are left for them? This is heavy concerns that deserve careful thought rather than angry arguments.
The truth is that unemployment in Nigeria is a real crisis. Every year, our universities send out thousands of bright young people into a job market that simply does not have space for them, leaving many to search for work endlessly for years without success. Even so, lack of work alone cannot be the only reason people choose crime, because millions of other young Nigerians facing that exact same hardship still choose to earn an honest living through legitimate means.
Perhaps the biggest problem facing many graduates today is not just a lack of open doors, but the mindset that comes with holding a university degree. A degree has turned into a heavy burden for many, making them feel that they are too educated to be seen doing manual work, running small market businesses, or learning practical trades. This pride keeps many smart young people stuck, preventing them from trying simple, everyday opportunities that could easily give them a reliable income.
A recent public argument over comments made by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, clearly shows this problem. A young graduate claimed that even if the government gave young people a grant of ₦500,000, it would still be too small to start any meaningful business. But that line of thinking misses the point completely, because the real issue is usually not the size of the money, but the total absence of a practical skill or a clear business plan. When a person does not know how to solve a real problem for customers, no amount of starting capital will ever be enough, because there is no clear idea on how to turn that money into more money.
Consider a simple everyday business like making and selling moin-moin. With a grant of ₦500,000, anyone can buy a commercial grinding machine, gas cylinders, an industrial burner, 8 food transparent containers, and neat packaging materials, while still keeping enough cash to buy raw beans, cooking oil, eggs, fish, and spices. The business can start small from home and grow as more customers buy. Every successful business in the world starts by taking care of a basic need for people who are willing to pay for good service.
If you supply forty wraps of moin-moin to four different schools in your area every school day, that comes to one hundred and sixty wraps daily. At a price of ₦500 per wrap, your total daily sales would be around ₦80,000. After paying off your vendors, covering your transport costs, and subtracting the money spent on raw ingredients, you could easily be left with a net profit of about ₦14,000 every single day. If you use ₦4,000 for your daily upkeep and save ₦10,000 as daily contribution, you will end up with ₦50,000 saved every week and roughly ₦200,000 saved every month, which is far more than what many fresh graduates earn in entry-level government jobs, yet many would instantly reject such work simply because they feel it damages their reputation as educated people.
When pushed on this math, the graduate asked a very telling question: "would you allow their own children to sell moin-moin"? That single question reveals the real wall in front of us today. We have formed the bad habit of judging how good a job is by social pride rather than its ability to pay the bills through honest labor. Many famous business owners around the world started by selling basic food or providing simple repairs before building massive companies, so honest work, no matter how humble it looks at the start, should never be treated as something lower than staying unemployed or turning to crime.
This entire debate highlights a way of thinking that has been rooted in Ekiti State for decades, where getting a government job is seen as the only true sign that a person has made it in life. Someone can own a thriving private business and make far more money than a high-ranking director in a ministry, yet people around will still treat that person as if they are unemployed simply because they do not work for the government. In fact, when Ekiti people meet an old friend after a long time, the first question is usually, "Where are you working now?" and they expect to hear the name of a government office. If you mention a private business or self-employment, some people instantly look down on you, regardless of how successful and stable your business actually is.
That old way of thinking made sense many years ago when the government was the main employer with plenty of money to offer steady salaries, pensions, and high social respect. But today, both state and federal governments are struggling with heavy wage bills and limited income, while trying to stretch their small budgets across hospitals, schools, roads, and security. Expecting the government to hire every single person who leaves university is no longer possible, and clinging to that expectation is just keeping us tied to an old colonial system that was designed only to train office clerks, managers, and public service workforce rather than independent business leaders.
So instead of constantly asking why the government has not given every graduate a job, the better question is whether our graduates have the hands-on skills needed to create income for themselves and employ others. Markets all over the world now reward practical problem-solving, flexibility, and real skills far more than paper certificates alone. This is not about blaming graduates for their struggles, because universities, government leaders, families, and business owners all share the responsibility of properly preparing young people for a fast-changing world.
Fortunately, earning a good living today does not depend on getting a government appointment, because modern opportunities are everywhere if people know where to look. The Federal Government has set up free training programs in high-demand digital skills like Data Analytics, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Marketing. These practical skills allow young people to work remotely for international companies right from home or start their own tech ventures. Likewise, modern agriculture in Ekiti State goes way beyond using old hoes and cutlasses, as it now involves technology, food processing, and supply management, allowing any graduate who steps into agribusiness to become an employer of labor rather than waiting indefinitely for an office job.
We also need to bring back respect for learning practical trades through apprenticeship, which has lost its value among educated youth who mistakenly think trades are only for those who did not go to school. Serving as an apprentice to become an electrician, fashion designer, welder, builder, or tech expert remains one of the fastest and most reliable ways to learn how a real business works. What truly matters in life is that your work creates real value for people and brings in legal, honest income.
None of this means the government gets to walk away from its duties, because leaders must still build good roads, provide stable electricity, secure lives and property, and create fair policies that help small businesses grow. But while the government works on those basic duties, individuals must also wake up, adapt to reality, and take full advantage of the doors that are already open to them.
It is also vital to understand why internet fraud gets so much negative attention from security forces. What people casually call "Yahoo" is no longer just sending trick emails, as it has grown into dangerous organized crime involving bank hacking, identity theft, kidnapping, money laundering, money rituals, violence, and dangerous criminal networks. Beyond the financial loss to victims, the biggest damage is the way it poisons the minds of the younger generation. When teenagers start admiring criminals with fast cars instead of respecting hard-working teachers, honest workers, or fair leaders, it means the moral heart of the community is broken, sending a false message that honesty is only for fools.
Even so, young people involved in fraud are not beyond redemption, and many can still turn their lives around if they are given the right guidance, fair warnings, and useful alternatives. Society should focus on helping young people change their ways just as much as it focuses on arrests, because preventing crime early is always better than punishing people after the damage is done. Parents, churches, mosques, schools, and local chiefs all have a massive role to play in raising children with good morals. Families must learn to celebrate modest, honest earnings instead of praising sudden wealth that has no clean source, because when communities cheer for unexplained riches, they indirectly push young people into crime.
In the end, the argument over setting up an EFCC office in Ekiti has triggered a much deeper conversation about the future of our young people, the dignity of doing honest work, and the need for equal justice for everyone. The future of Ekiti State will not be decided by how many government jobs are handed out or how many arrests are made by the police. It will be built on the moral values we choose to keep, the real skills our young people learn, and our willingness to respect any work that brings in honest money. When practical skills replace pride, and when integrity is celebrated over quick cash, our state will finally stand on a solid foundation that lasts, giving every son and daughter of Ekiti a better state to build together.
Idowu Ephraim Faleye is a freelance political writer based in Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. +2348132100608
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