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l Determinants”, the issue of real output and employment growth in developing nations is a requirement for poverty reduction and a more equitable income distribution. This means that other economic indices are tied to the basics of employment and factors affecting it.

In the light of the above therefore, Adebayo and Ogunrinola, 2006; Oladeji, 1994; Omotor and Gbosi 2006 explained that many studies on Nigeria’s employment situation have been devoted to unemployment and its determinants and/or its impacts on economic growth. These studies mostly conclude on the nature of employment and may also suggest reasons and solutions to the curse of unemployment.

Oni, 2006; Patterson et al 2006 also opined that “Though from a quick look at the Nigerian data on employment level and real GDP, it appears that the recent economic growth trends and patterns have been insufficient to make any appreciable impact on employment generation and poverty reduction, but this has not been sufficiently investigated empirically in the literature”.

It is thus needful to find out categorically the causal effect between employment and economic growth based on available data collected by various data gathering establishments.

STATEMENT OF RESEARCH PROBLEM

The major problem identified in the Nigerian context is that of these increases in these economic growth indicators, unemployment has really been a major cause for concern. Policies and policy target to curb unemployment have really not been working and various labor market laws and policy have not really worked.

In macroeconomics analysis growth has been described to have positive relationship with the level of employment. According to various economic principles this has been proven. Of such principle is the okun’s law which states that has the economy grows by say 3%, the rate of unemployment is to reduce by 1% and vice versa. But the reverse has been the case in the Nigerian context. The economy in recent times has been experiencing growth but the level of unemployment has been increasing both among the youth and among working class adults.

The various theoretical literatures read shows that the nexus between the employment rate and the level of growth as stated in the paragraph above is a positive one, contradicting the Okun’s law. This stated fact is shown by the recent figures on both employment and economic growth. The rates of economic growth for 2010 to 1st quarter 2013 are as follows: 7.76% to 6.99% respectively and those of unemployment from 2010 to 2012 are as follows: 19.7% to 23.9% respectively (Source: www.tradingeconomics.com/ Nigeria Bureau of Statistics).

These growth figures shown above tell us about the break from the norm that the Nigerian economy is passing through. But in a normal economy the increased level of growth is supposed to boost the level of income, level of investment, level of consumption and savings and eventually the level of employment. But the reverse has been the case in the Nigerian context: the employment generation rate keeps falling, the unemployment rate keeps rising and the growth rate has to some extent increased consistently with minimal fluctuations.

The problem that this research wishes to deal with has to do in details with the nature and dynamics of this growth; what has influenced it overtime? Why has it that this i