A 30-day national youth congress has been planned by the Federal Government of Nigeria for February 2025. Aiming to address urgent concerns like youth unemployment, education, and political involvement, President Bola Tinubu announced the conference during his Independence Day speech. In 2024, this comes after youth-led demonstrations like #EndBadGovernance and #FearlessOctober. However, a number of youth organisations, including the Ijaw National Congress, Yoruba Youths Council, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, have widely criticised the organization’s tardiness.
According to these organisations, the government is excluding young people and breaking its commitments. The meeting, according to youth leaders, is essential for addressing unemployment, promoting inclusion in governance, and developing workable solutions for the country’s problems. The initiative, however, is criticised by others as being dishonest and a distraction. Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development, has presented a grassroots strategy that will primarily entail local engagements during the course of the conference, which will conclude with a week-long session in Abuja.
It is necessary to examine youth unemployment and political engagement.
With the assistance of a suggested task group to guarantee implementation, the conference’s conclusions will be utilised to develop workable policies. The Nigerian Youth Conference has been praised for its emphasis on youth development; nevertheless, in order to address its wider ramifications, it is necessary to examine youth unemployment, education, political engagement, and previous projects while incorporating firsthand accounts from young people. Nigeria’s youth Unemployment rate decreased from 8.6% in Q3 2023 to 8.4% in Q1 2024. The high rate of informality, which accounts for 92.7% of all employment, makes employment difficulties worse and disproportionately affects young people without post-secondary education.
Post-graduate degree holders experience a much lower unemployment rate of 2% than post-secondary degree holders, who experience a rate of 9%. The National Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) 2021–2024, one of the youth-focused programs the Nigerian government has put into place, encourages self-employment and entrepreneurship. Youth Empowerment through skill training has been the goal of programs like the N-Power Scheme and the You-WIN Program, but obstacles including a lack of financing and a narrow reach have made them less successful. Systemic problems frequently cause young people who are not part of organised groups to vent frustration.
Millions of young people are at risk of economic instability.
For instance, some young people believe that Corruption and nepotism make it impossible to obtain employment prospects. Despite initiatives like the Not Too Young To Run Act, which lowered the age limits for political office, political engagement is still low. Strong accountability procedures are necessary to guarantee that the conference’s conclusions have an impact. The implementation of resolutions announced during the conference should be strengthened by transparent reporting, youth-led monitoring committees, and periodic assessments of action items. Previous initiatives, such as the Youth Employment in Agriculture Program and the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P), have helped to combat unemployment, but their short-term planning and bureaucratic inefficiencies have prevented them from having a lasting effect.
As of the first quarter of 2024, youth unemployment, a recurring problem in Nigeria, was 8.4%, with 92.7% of jobs being categorised as informal. Millions of young people are at risk of economic instability and exploitation due to the unstable nature of the job market. Nigeria struggles with concerns of quality and access in the field of education. More than 10.5 million youngsters are not attending school, which restricts the supply of skilled workers. In order to better prepare young people for the workforce, the conference may influence policies that close educational gaps and match Curriculum with industry demands.
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Despite making up 70% of the population, young Nigerians continue to have low levels of political participation. Although political inclusivity has grown due to initiatives like the Not Too Young to Run Act, there is still very little representation in the government. The requests for a minimum of 50% representation in public decision-making and more youth involvement in governance may gain momentum as a result of the conference. Additionally, the conference’s focus on grassroots involvement guarantees that a range of young voices, including those from under-represented groups are heard.