This has been on my mind for long but I think it is time I put it down. Maybe, just maybe it might make the difference numerous Nigerian graduates (who fall into this same category and who holds integrity of their real age) hope for.

It baffles me when I see Nigerian employers fix age restrictions for fresh graduates’ recruitment. I know there are so many young graduates who conveniently fits into these age brackets, yet, I will like to point out the fact that so many who struggled through thick and thin to raise funds for their education are not likely to fit in.

Take for instance, a child who started KG 1 at age 3, going through Primary School, will graduate at age 12. The child proceeds immediately to Secondary School and rounds up at age 18, other things being equal. The battles with UTME then start, Post-UTME and financial constraints join and the lucky ones finally gain admission at an average age of 20. God be so good, the fellow gains admission to one of the Federal Universities with records of both internal and ASUU strikes. Where a 4-year course simply means 4+X (Where X is a positive integer, greater than or equal to 1). Waits for a year to serve the country and finishes service at 26+.

Now, the jobs available are asking for fresh graduates below 26. Infact, I once witnessed a bank that pegged the age restriction to 24 or a Master’s Degree for 26. I graduated from a class of about 370 students and over 60% of my classmates won't meet up with that criteria.

It becomes continually tempting for young, enterprising and sound graduates to even get an opportunity to be interviewed due to the age barricade to tamper with their age. I am fully against age fraud.

My submission: I know your HR policy might state that people are most effective between some ages, but, obviously, so many people have defied the age criteria. Kindly look through some other criteria or review the age restriction to reflect more of the Nigerian Graduates situation. Thank you.

I can relate to the above..... Mine was that I was too young for the job...after passing all test and interviews....

True talk.

I think the issue should be visited and if possible to the senate should find a way to make the barricade around 30years or therabout.

Tho we have people who are 26 and below and have their BSc and other professional Or post grad degress, we should understand that this people may just represent a low percentile of the unemployed thereby giving no oppourtunity for the other majority that has struggled with the poverty of the nation while trying to attain education(we should not forget the educational struggles of ASUU strike and the rest of them).

I think if we carry out a deep investigation on the age limit of 26 we will most likely find out that the limit only favors a select few which may fall under any of theses category

1. The above average/rich
2. Private university graduates(maybe not entirely but imagine a 20 year old student attending a private uni and another 20 year old attending a federal uni for a 4year course, the private uni grad will be in the labour market at 25 'after nysc' and he will have a year to fight in the labour market b4 he eventually turns 26, this wil be the same for the fed uni grad if there were no strikes buh we all know a 6 months strike will eventually make him finish nysc after he must have turned 26 thereby robbing him a chance to fight in the labour market)

Too young is far better ooo... Too old is scary

quinnboy:
I can relate to the above..... Mine was that I was too young for the job...after passing all test and interviews....

It is a pity that we are in this kind of mess! Let me quickly say this without any fear of contradiction; the inability of the government to provide a conducive business environment for investors to invest in Nigeria stand as an impediments toward the growth and development of this country. I don't blame the private organisations, if there are a lot of companies in Nigeria, I no that they would stop all those their stupid and anti human policy.