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Tag: youth unemployment

  • ‘How to tackle Japa, youth unemployment’

    ‘How to tackle Japa, youth unemployment’

    By Sherifdeen Amusa

    The Institute of Business Development (IBD) has called for comprehensive reforms in vocational skills training for Nigerian youths. It also suggested better alternatives to the JAPA syndrome affecting Nigerian Youths.

    These were contained in a briefing by the President of IBD, Alhaji Sadiku Rafindadi, at the end of the 10th Annual Conference of IBD in Abuja themed, “Harnessing Digital Innovation for Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Sustainable Development.”

    Announcing the launching of the Innovative Empowerment Community Network (IECN) Agenda, Rafindadi said the IECN was not another government programme or a corporate CSR initiative, but a “Grand Unifying Ecosystem” that serves as a bridge connecting training centres, youth unemployment  and neglected elderly citizens to make a  functional engine for national development.

    He said many skill acquisition programme fail due to the incentive used to lure people into it, rather than inviting people who are genuinely eager to learn the skills.

    To solve this, he called for a radical shift by ensuring that the selection process for skill acquisition is made unpolitical and devoid of advertised monetary benefits during the recruitment stage.

    He said: “We scrutinised why so many skill acquisition programmes fail and found out that when you offer free money, you attract people looking for charity, not people looking for a career. Therefore, under the IECN Agenda, the IBD is advocating a radical shift in how we select and train our youths.

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    “The IBD advocates that all selection processes for training must remain unpolitical and devoid of advertised monetary benefits. We must conceal startup grants and stipends during the recruitment phase. Why? Because we want candidates who are hungry for knowledge, not hungry for a “national cake.

    “We want resilience. The incentives will come after certification, rewarding those who stayed the course.”

    On JAPA syndrome, the IBD stated in a communique after the conference that it aims to work with diplomatic representatives to create bilateral labor frameworks, that will change the “narrative of our youth fleeing as desperate “migrants” or “refugees” through local standard training that will change them to dignified professionals who earn foreign currency and remit taxes back to Nigeria”

    To address the “neglected” aging population, the IBD under its “Care Revolutionary  Ecosystem  (CRE)” called for a formalized care system that is secure and professionalised so that   trained youths can  provide home care for the aging population.

    This, it said, aims to give senior citizens the dignity of being cared for in their own homes, and give millions of Nigerian youths sustainable, respectable jobs.

    While noting safety concern, IBD said the IECN will champion a National Caregiver Bio-Data Registry, linked with security agencies, to ensure that every caregiver is vetted, traceable, and trusted.

     The IBD said it was no longer just a body for business theory but an implementation partner for national progress.

    While urging the government to embrace the IECN template which will stop politicisation of empowerment and allowing merit to drive the process, it urged the Diplomatic Community to standardise the skills of “our youths.” It also urged the private sector to invest in this eco-system.

  • Resolving youth unemployment crisis and skills mismatch in Nigeria

    Resolving youth unemployment crisis and skills mismatch in Nigeria

    • By Tunji Olaopa

    Convocation ceremonies that universities and other tertiary institutions hold to celebrate the achievements of their graduands are more than mere ceremonies. They are signifiers of a significant event about to take place. That event has to do with the need to reconnect the talents, ideas and theories that have been grown and cultivated within the higher education context to back up the societal base of that knowledge framework. When universities graduate students in all cadres, they are making a fundamental statement about the need to give back to the society that initiated the needs for those institutions in the first place. Universities and tertiary institutions cannot stand off the knowledge production objective that called them into existence in the first place. They exist not just as ivory towers generating knowledge for knowledge’s sake; rather, the knowledge generated is supposed to lead to emancipation of lives and the transformation of societies. Convocations are therefore testaments to significant achievements as well as statements of new and transformatory beginnings.

    This makes the 17th convocation ceremony of the Bells University of Technology (BUT)—the first private university of technology in Nigeria, a serious event for many reasons. The first is obvious. BUT is a specialized university—much like the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Federal University of Technology, Akure, University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo, etc.—that came into existence for specific developmental purposes in ways that is different from the conventional universities and tertiary institutions. The second reason speaks to the founding of BUT that connects vision and statesmanship to national development. This reason allows me to pay deep homage to one of the fathers of the Nigerian nation, an elder statesman emeritus, our living legend, and the visitor to this revered university, Chief Olusegun Okikiola Obasanjo, GCFR, PhD, and former president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. There are no enough words to capture the deep essence of a statesman, nationalist, and visionary, who sees far ahead of his time. Indeed, the founding of Bells University is one stroke of foresight that uniquely connects OBJ’s leadership vision, development insights and patriotic love to the greater Nigeria’s emerging future.

    The concern of BUT with youth unemployment and skills mismatch as the theme of its 2025 convocation lecture and its 20th anniversary, says a lot about its capacity to stay ahead of its vision and mission as a leading higher education stakeholder in Nigeria. In this piece, therefore, my objective is to connect Nigeria’s development challenges with the deficit and dysfunction of higher education, especially in terms of human capital development and the resulting unemployment and skill deficiency. I will explore several ways by which this challenge could be alleviated, especially by specialized universities like BUT and other conventional universities across Nigeria. I sincerely hope this reflection will be able to spur the universities and other tertiary institutions to an even greater efforts in pushing Nigeria towards sustainable development.

    The first crucial foundation to lay is the acknowledgement that the world has arrived at the knowledge society. This is a society that speaks to the importance and the qualitative role that knowledge has come to play in the defining of our time and its possibilities. It concerns the dynamic of how knowledge is efficiently applied to every facet of human socioeconomic life, from civil society and the economy to politics and the community. This society emerged, according to Peter Drucker, because “Knowledge is being applied to knowledge itself…. Knowledge is now fast becoming the one factor of production, sidelining both capital and labor.” It does not take any significant reflection to immediately see why education is a very crucial element in the making and functional reality of the knowledge society. Or why institutions of higher education, especially the universities, are key to generating knowledge that the society and state can deploy to generate wealth and make economic and developmental progress. In the knowledge society, Drucker insists that it is not only learning that is fundamental, but “learning how to learn.” In this sense, the universities become the critical space within which learning, education, innovation and information become mixed in a dynamic and strategic form that conduces to the benefit of the human society. The university then becomes not only a site for knowledge production, but also a space for fashioning the human capital that could be called upon to process the knowledge that is produced for the betterment and improvement of the society.

    The challenge for a state like Nigeria is that we have found it difficult to step into the knowledge society, except as a default event, because higher education is disarticulated from national development given that human capital development has failed to meet up with the creative innovation that many nations have fully recognized and invested in so heavily, in order to guarantee  sustainable progress. The higher education dynamics therefore become extremely significant in terms of their relationship with a nation’s productive force. Unfortunately, Nigeria has failed so far in tapping into its youth bulge—the number of Nigerians that falls within the productive age of fifteen to thirty-five years that makes up the productive age—which makes her the most youthful country in Nigeria, and one of the largest in the world. The human capital development dynamics are then compromised by a gloomy statistic of youth unemployment: According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the labour force survey for 2023 reveals, for instance, that youth unemployment increased from 6.9% in the first quarter of 2023 to 7.2% in the second. The youth not gainfully employed, in school or in any form of training amounts to 13.8%. the informal economy employs a whopping 92.7% Nigerians. Then there is a mass of unemployable and restive youth population that has transformed the youth bulge into a negative fact. In other words, Nigeria’s higher education has failed so far in tapping into the youth bulge to generate a creative, knowledge and innovative productive force that Nigeria can then harness for its developmental needs.

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    For me, there are three functions a university ought to pursue vigorously. The first is to connect students with their humanity—to make them more humane than when they stepped through the gates of the university. This, for me, is the crucial responsibility of the humanities, from History and Philosophy to Music, Religious Studies and Classical Studies. The second function of the university is to inculcate the best insights into citizenship in ways that enables the Nigerian polity to benefit from those who are able to achieve patriotism through a serious engagement with the body politic. I lay this responsibility at the feet of the social sciences, especially sociology and political science. The third function of higher education that the university embodies is to arm the students with relevant and cogent skills and competences that will not only tide them for life, but will also become the tools they need to move the nation forward. This is where the science, technology and management faculties come in. It is pretty difficult to disarticulate the functions of the university in this manner, but I will take the risk and examine the third function here.

    These three functions imply that a university like BUT cannot just be fixated on crunching ideas, paradigms and theories that are not grounded on praxis. This sensitizes us to the fundamental significance of the town-and-gown. Indeed, the town needs the ideas and theories of the gown, as much as the gown also require to reorient its theories by the practices of the town. This articulates the necessity of connecting theorizing to the imperative of industrialization and national development for a country like Nigeria. The paradox of the Nigerian developmental situation is that despite the millions of graduates that Nigerian universities churn out every year, she still could not manage an adequate industry-ready manpower that could qualitatively transform her development and productivity profile. This is the crux of Nigeria’s development predicament. There is a simple explanation for this predicament of the unemployed and unemployable: the education they got did not make them relevant as key elements of the development planning and even entrepreneurial process. There is therefore a skill mismatch when a student’s training and education fail to meet the requirements and needs of the country’s labor market and industries.

    There are three dimensions of this skill mismatch. One, there is the skill gap that is the consequence of the curriculum being oriented on too much theoretical rather than practical knowledge and skills that meet specific societal and developmental needs. Two, there is the field-of-study mismatch that is the result of graduates getting trained in disciplinary areas not needed by the Nigerian economy. And lastly, there is the qualification mismatch that implies that graduates are underqualified for available job or are even unemployable for them. This skills mismatch is aggravated by two factors. One, there is the incapacity of past reforms to restore the functional link between education, job creation and employability of graduates. Two, there is also an educational philosophy which is skewed in favor of formal education to the exclusion of technical, vocational education and training (TVET) as well as the more traditional apprenticeship and other non-formal training like the Igbo apprenticeship system as part of a larger framework for generating and consolidating a nationwide job creation and entrepreneurial dynamics that underlie human capital development.

    The objective therefore, going forward, is for the government to set a policy objective that connects higher education, industry and development. In order to match certification and qualification generated by educational and training institutions with employment opportunities available in the labour market, development policies need to not only connect the formal and informal education subsector, especially in terms of the students’ industrial work experiences, like SIWES. The recent and ongoing efforts of the Federal Ministry of Education to implement several programs that promote STEM education and foreground TVET is commendable. So also, is the decision of the African Development Bank (AfDB) to provide crucial support to 38 technical colleges, to enhance skills acquisition and vocational training. This significantly possesses the capacity to fully activate the national vocational qualifications framework (NVQF) as standardized certification for skills to promote employability and industry relevance.

    The federal government might need to consider declaring a state of emergency on the education sector especially in terms of the development imperative of generating new skills that matches the twenty-first century technology-driven transformation of the nature of work and the imperatives of productivity. Universities and other tertiary institutions must emphasize digital skills (i.e. machine learning and AI), technical skills (i.e. cloud computing), soft skills (i.e. critical thinking), lifelong skills (i.e. adaptability and resilience), vocational skills (i.e. data analytics, social media management), among others. These skills acquisition imperative draws the universities, especially specialized ones like BUT, into the larger reform framework. This involves (a) transforming the development nature of their governing councils in ways that affect the fundamentals of curriculum development and pedagogy; (b) strengthening the university-industry synergy and collaboration though the establishment of research and development hubs; (c) creating enabling atmosphere and programs that enable students develop creative start-ups and entrepreneurial innovation; (d) be a significant part of a tripartite labour arrangement involving ASUU and the government that function on a development rather than adversarial industrial relations dynamics.

    In concluding this piece, I like to digress to dwell a bit on why the government, industry and labour must come to a shared vision and purpose to create industrial harmony as growth enabler, in spite of the usual inescapable periodic conflicts which will of course play up from time to time between government and labour unions; conflict situations that must be seen to be managed and resolved within the framework of the rule of law and constitutional order, and not the disarticulated government handling and militancy-propelled unionism, a subsisting culture carried over from the era of military rule.

    The point is that the Nigerian industrial relation system is currently at a critical inflection point. It is one characterised by fragmentation, weakened institutional mechanisms and authority of responsible institutions as the ministry of labour and employment, Industrial Arbitration Panel and the National Industrial Court (NIC), whose authority are disdained with impunity by the unions, especially as such disdain seems to be the only language that unions have come to see as the one that moves government especially to take action in the heat of collective bargaining, This tradition having become a paradigm of worrisome zero-sum conflict prone incessant conflicts that leads to prolonged and unnecessary industrial disputes and the dishing out of morsels of token concessions that never add up nor address the fundamental welfare and deeply structural and systemic issues being pushed especially by ASUU.

    It is significant to note that there has been progress made to ratify and domesticate many relevant ILO Conventions that have direct impact on labour administration. Full compliance with these conventions will go a long way in shaping the future of work in Nigeria. Going forward, we however need a shared understanding among the tripartite, one rooted in commitment to Nigeria’s developmental progress, to drive a significant rethink and shift in conflict management practices around industrial disputes which currently yield itself to self-serving radical and ostensibly politicised activism and workplace disruptions by trade unions; and one at that which has become a culture. The fact is that there exist institutional mechanisms to deal with unavoidable and seemingly irresolvable disputes especially arising from the reading and interpretation of what constitute disputes of rights and disputes of interests among the tripartite. Clearly, if national progress is the ideological underpinning of actions, then conflict of interest should not always degenerate into zero-sum game, as such interests are not mutually exclusive.

    So, what lesson should be draw as policy makers, development workers and public managers from the ASUU protracted struggle, going forward: One, government should for no reason at all, sign an agreement that it cannot implement, as difficult as it is in view of the usually associated political expediencies. Two, governments in the bid to please unions and minimise heating up of the polity, should desist from taking decisions of far-reaching magnitude in a hurry, with full recognition that labour matters require diligence and technical correctness. It is better to agree to a reasonable agreement with short-term horizon and susceptible to reviews, than to make long-term commitments that hang on the neck of government like an albatross. Government should give life to veritable institutional mechanisms that will activate people with the right authority, skills and technical support to be those who will negotiate for government since they are ipso facto empowered to take decisions at negotiation table.

    It is in this regard, that advocacy around the need to strengthen the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) to play more proactive role in labour administration should be taken seriously by government. Indeed, an effective NLAC that transform into a tripartite body to handle periodic reviews as minimum wage, etc, rather than current recurring resort to ad hoc committees is critical to success going forward. It must also be pointed out that most Nigerian Labour Laws presently in operation which are carried over from the colonial and military era in Nigeria are obsolete, and no longer in tune with international standard. Happily, many of the revised versions of these laws are already before the National Assembly as bills for passage.

    It is expected that government will leverage the commitment of social partners to conclude legislative actions on the bills. In the end, the point cannot be overstated, that the health and sustainability of any enterprise (including the Nigerian enterprise) is the responsibility of all stakeholders. Indeed, we need a national economy that is thriving for most of what the trade unions are agitating for on behalf of workers to be realisable. We all therefore must invest in the productivity and sustainable development of the Nigerian enterprise as the overarching mission in all our struggles and campaigns,

    Overall, Nigeria’s development future depends on a higher education trajectory that grounds human capital development not merely on youths who graduate from the universities and earn certification, but on youths who keep learning and achieving skills that are contextual, developmental and lifelong. Proactive policy architecture is the point at which Nigeria meets the evolving society on a scale of skill acquisition that matters as knowledge and development leeway. This is when the Nigerian youth really begin to matter for Nigeria’s future. 

    • Olaopa is Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission & Professor  of Public Administration, Abuja
    • (Being excerpt from the 17th Convocation Lecture of Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State delivered in the BUT Auditorium on Friday, 31st of October, 2025)
  • Experts urge Nigerian universities to prioritise soft skills training to tackle youth unemployment

    Experts urge Nigerian universities to prioritise soft skills training to tackle youth unemployment

    Top education and leadership experts have called on Nigerian universities to place greater emphasis on teaching soft and marketable skills as a strategy to reduce the country’s rising youth unemployment.

    The call was made at the grand finale of the Career Service Programme, a joint initiative of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and ICLED Business School, Lekki.

    Speaking at the event, UNILAG’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development Services), Prof. Afolabi Lesi, stressed that students must be equipped with practical skills beyond the classroom. 

    “The Office of Career Development Services was established to make students work-ready. 

    This partnership with ICLED provides training in interview techniques, teamwork, communication, and leadership—skills rarely taught in academic curricula but crucial for the job market,” he said.

    Prof. Olajumoke Familoni, President and Provost of ICLED Business School, highlighted the mismatch between academic learning and industry needs as a driver of unemployment. 

    She noted that entrepreneurship and industry collaboration are key to converting innovation into job opportunities.

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    Also speaking, U.S.-based leadership expert Dr. Wayne Puckett praised the participating students, describing their innovative ideas as proof of the programme’s impact. 

    “The students did an amazing job integrating their learning into practical solutions for unemployment. These discussions must continue beyond the classroom,” he said.

    Dr. Ayodele Shittu, Team Lead at UNILAG’s Office of Career Development Services, said the initiative had successfully prepared students for global citizenship and workplace readiness. “These young leaders will shape policies and influence decisions worldwide,” he added.

    The event featured debates, mock interviews, CV reviews, mentorship sessions, and group presentations addressing the theme “Solving the Graduate Unemployment Crisis in Nigeria: The Way Forward.” 

    Over 130 penultimate and final-year students took part, gaining exposure to career planning, leadership development, and entrepreneurship.

    Judges drawn from academia, NGOs, and the corporate world assessed the presentations, identifying outstanding talents for further mentorship opportunities.

    The Career Service Programme has been hailed as a pioneering model for Nigerian universities, demonstrating how targeted skills training can empower students, improve employability, and contribute to national development.

  • Youth unemployment: Bridging the gap between education, employment

    Youth unemployment: Bridging the gap between education, employment

    An impending global job crisis is becoming increasingly apparent with an uncertain economic forecast and a series of layoffs. New graduates are struggling to navigate the job market. Addressing the issue necessitates that governments globally rethink their approaches to education, training, and workforce support. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has urged for unified actions to tackle the increasing rates of youth unemployment. In response, Lagos State is implementing initiatives aimed at mitigating the adverse effects on economic development, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    A global job crisis is brewing. Amid an uncertain outlook and spate of layoffs, fresh graduates are finding it tough in the job market. About 1.2 billion new workers, according to prominent data sources will be competing for 400 million jobs over the next decade.

    About 267 million young people aged 15-24 are not in employment, education or training and many more endure substandard working conditions,  the  Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024(GET for Youth) report, a publication of the International Labour Organisation(ILO) said.

    With such a large number of new workers competing for a limited number of jobs, the pressure on job seekers, especially fresh graduates, is intense. The statistics on youth unemployment and underemployment are especially alarming.

     When combined with the reality of substandard working conditions for many, it paints a bleak picture of the state of global employment for young people.

    The report further highlighted a critical issue: the rapid pace of technological advancements, such as automation and digital transformation, creating a gap between the skills young people are acquiring and those required by employers. This is especially evident in industries that are experiencing rapid change.

    The report advocated for urgent policy reforms and increased investment in education and vocational training. Towards bridging the skills gap, the ILO emphasised the need for flexible, innovative approaches, with programmes that focus not just on academic qualifications but also on practical, in-demand skills.  The ILO report called for greater attention on strengthening the foundations of decent work as a pathway to countering young people’s anxieties about the world of work and reinforcing their hope for a brighter future.

    Also in its annual World Employment and Social Outlook report, ILO said the number of people unemployed around the world stands at around 188 million. In addition, 165 million people don’t have enough paid work, and 120 million have either given up actively searching for work or otherwise lack access to the labour market. Besides, more than 470 million people worldwide lack adequate access to paid work as such or are being denied the opportunity to work the desired number of hours.

    The numbers revealed significant challenges in terms of unemployment, underemployment, and access to decent work opportunities.

    For millions of ordinary people, it’s increasingly dificult to build better lives through work,” ILO Director-General Guy Ryder said. Consequently, ILO has called for an urgent investment in opportunities for young people to tackle the challenge of growing youth unemployment.

    The statement from ILO Director-General Guy Ryder highlights a critical issue: the struggle for ordinary people, particularly youth, to improve their lives through work. It also indicated that the growing challenge of youth unemployment is concerning, as it not only limits opportunities for young individuals but also has broader social and economic implications.

    The youthful population of Nigeria and Africa at large presents an extraordinary opportunity for growth and development. This demographic advantage is crucial for the continent’s future; nevertheless, it is imperative to confront issues such as unemployment and underemployment to unlock this potential. High rates of youth unemployment can give rise to social and economic problems, and in the absence of viable opportunities for young individuals, their true potential may remain unfulfilled.

    The rising unemployment rate poses a considerable challenge to Nigeria’s economy, particularly given the substantial influx of graduates into the job market each year. The World Bank reported that the unemployment rate among Nigerians has escalated, with universities and polytechnics generating approximately 600,000 graduates annually. This situation indicates that, despite the production of around 600,000 graduates each year, the lack of sufficient job opportunities prevents these young, educated individuals from making meaningful economic contributions.

    However, for some organisations Nigeria’s burgeoning youth population also signify both a beacon of hope and a source of concern.

    The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) for instance warned that millions of Nigerians are likely to face a high risk of unemployment. The warning from NESG highlights the urgency of addressing the issue of youth unemployment, as millions of young Nigerians face a future with limited prospects if these structural issues are not tackled.

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    NESG believes more needs to be done to improve the quality of education and training and to link education and training with the world of work through apprenticeships, skills strategies and improved access to employment services.

    The 2024Q2 Unemployment Alert by NESG underscored a growing concern, where a large number of graduates struggle to secure formal employment despite having completed their education. This is often due to the gap between what is taught in schools and the skills that employers actually need in their industries.

    ILO has urged Nigeria and other member nations to take immediate, targeted and renewed action to tackle the youth unemployment crisis. Its call for targeted action in five key areas such as macroeconomic policies, employability, labour market policies, youth entrepreneurship, and rights also highlights the need for a multi-dimensional response.

    The ILO Director-General,  Gilbert F. Houngbo’s meeting with key stakeholders, including government officials, employer and worker representatives, and UN partners, in Abuja to discuss labour market reforms, employment creation, and social protection reflects a collaborative approach to tackling these challenges.

    At the state level, Lagos State government organised a job to promote job opportunities for young people. Themed: “Unlocking Opportunities: Bridging Talent and Employers for a Prosperous Lagos”,

    The Job Fair aims, among other things, to create a framework for promoting salaried employment and self-employment, to highlight job and training opportunities.

    Speakers also identify actions to be implemented to improve the resilience and competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A number of  recruiting companies , banks, took part in the fair, offering job opportunities to young people.

    For Commissioner of Wealth Creation and Employment, Hon Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, the Job Fair responds to a number of imperatives:  addressing the needs of young people without access to the job market due to a lack of skills in line with the needs of employers, the impact of technology.

    He reiterated that the job fair reflects the state government’s commitment to tackle unemployment and promote decent jobs for youth.

    He indicated that the state government has engaged in collaboration with the private sector on essential issues, including youth job creation, the establishment of apprenticeships, and the cultivation of a supportive environment for sustainable businesses that produce productive jobs, generate wealth, and improve the living and working conditions of local residents.

    Furthermore, he remarked that the rise of artificial intelligence, automation, and industry-specific changes has prompted considerable corporate restructuring, highlighting that businesses now require specialised skills to adapt to the rapid advancements in digital technology.

    He posited that youth unemployment represents one of the most significant challenges of our era, necessitating our steadfast focus, collective determination, and complete commitment to providing inclusive and accessible lifelong learning and upskilling opportunities.

    The commissioner noted that Lagos was experiencing a crucial transformation in its economy as digital advancements accelerate.

    He emphasised that a substantial portion of the success of the economic transformation will depend on ensuring that no one is excluded and that equal opportunities are afforded to all, particularly young graduates, thereby greatly enhancing the nation’s workforce.

    In its commitment to improving youth employment, the Lagos government is implementing a range of initiatives that prioritise contemporary skills, quality apprenticeships, job creation, and youth entrepreneurship. One of these is the Graduate Internship Placement Programme (GIPP), an initiative designed to equip first-degree holders with employability skills through three weeks of training.

    According to him, many young people lack employability skills. According to him, participation in the internship programme enables them to acquire such skills through on-the-job training and work experience. The selected graduates undergo training, followed by placement with partnering organisations for three months. He remarked that the government aims for the GIPP plays a crucial role in fostering youth employment.

    For him, effective skills and lifelong learning systems are crucial components to empower individuals to aspire to better jobs, better pay, and better lives. Therefore, he wants to see Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)   equip the youth with the skills and knowledge they need not only to excel in today’s job markets, but also to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

    The Managing Partner, Human Capital Partners, Innocent Oseghe, asserted that if  GIPP functions well, its graduates not only have the right skills for today’s jobs, they are also prepared to adapt in the future as skills needs change.

    He applauded the initiative of the government aimed at strengthening the workforce and ensuring career transformation.

    In a panel session titled “Bridging the Talent Gap: The Future of Jobs in Lagos,” the Head of Human Capital Management, First Bank of Nigeria Ltd., Muyiwa Olulaja, represented by Paulinus Osuji, underscored the significance of digital skills for the workforce. He noted that the rapid advancement of digitalisation has resulted in a heightened demand for essential digital abilities.

    Olulaja encouraged employees to acquire these skills to enhance their career trajectories, increase their chances for promotion, and secure better compensation and negotiating leverage. He also suggested that educational programmes should be tailored to meet the specific demands of each industry, asserting that “the government can help bridge the gap between what is taught in classrooms and the needs of the industry.”

    Throughout the forum, experts acknowledged the imperative for the industry to collaborate with the government in shaping future skills and the best way to develop them. They pointed out that there are notable inconsistencies between the desires of employers and the values that employees consider essential. They argued that understanding these gaps will play a key role in preparing a workforce suited for the future economic landscape.

    The General Manager, HR & Corporate Services, Energia Limited, Mr. Aremo Tope Daramola, observed a significant disparity between the courses offered by universities and the demands of the industry

    He emphasised that this situation leads to a heightened likelihood of unemployment for highly educated young people, which can be attributed to shortcomings in the education system.

    As technology continues to transform the landscape of employment, HR Consultant Victor Adebayo has called upon young people to be deliberate in their efforts to adjust to the shifting job market. He highlighted the critical role of universities in engaging with businesses to convey their recruitment needs to students, and urged employers to share relevant information with educational organisations.

    To better meet employers’ expectations, he urged the participants to explore training to strengthen their skills and stay competitive.

    The Permanent Secretary for Wealth Creation and Employment,Engr Olalekan Nurudeen Shodeinde urged the participants to seize the opportunities provided by the fair, saying it  could help in achieving the  administration’s bid for a productive  economy through  job creation..

    The forum featured discussions on connecting job seekers with employers, the role of government in tackling youth unemployment among others.

  • Lagos, others partner on youth unemployment

    Lagos, others partner on youth unemployment

    With Nigeria’s unemployment rate at 5.3 per cent, Lagos State government is ready to work with corporate and civil society leaders to address the pervasive challenges of youth employment.

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, Akinyemi Ajigbotafe   stated this at the state forum on graduate internship placement programme (GIPP).

    The GIPP is a paid internship programme that helps graduates gain skills and experience to prepare them for the job market.

    He remarked that the government was willing to engage with key players from diverse sectors—such as governmental institutions, business organisations, international bodies, and civil society-to gather insights, disseminate knowledge, and implement evidence-based programs aimed at addressing youth unemployment. Additionally, he pointed out the necessity of capitalising on this shared knowledge to boost investments in more effective and sustainable approaches.

    With some 75 million young people in the developing world unemployed and hundreds of millions more underemployed, analysts agreed that youth employment is one of the century’s most pressing problems.

    He asserted that tackling youth unemployment necessitates a comprehensive and innovative strategy that promotes entrepreneurship, encourages skill enhancement, and recognises commendable behaviours.

    He emphasised that providing quality employment opportunities for young people is a primary concern for the government, especially as thousands of youths are entering the workforce, noting that the economy must generate jobs to maintain stable employment levels.

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    He stated that Lagos is dedicated to collaborating with progressive employers who are focused on nurturing diverse talent through their involvement in the GIPP programme. He elaborated that the objective is to partner with recruitment agencies to reinforce their dedication to this initiative, enhance the skills of young individuals, stimulate growth in the private sector, foster job creation, and promote entrepreneurship along with the establishment of new enterprises.

    He expressed that the government aims to provide young individuals with sustainable career opportunities and to facilitate their early integration into the workforce.

     He emphasised that this objective can only be realised through a collaborative effort with private sector organisations that support the GIPP program, allowing local youth to gain workplace responsibilities, thereby integrating them into the professional realm and contributing their skills to the growth of organisations.

    He noted: “This year meeting is thought provoking and encompassing as it involves improving colloboration between government and recruitment agencies,offtakers& sponsoring companies to address challenges, develop policies and solicit support to enhance the success of the programme.”

     According to him, Lagos makes a point of teaming up with forward-thinking employers committed to developing diverse talent by participating in the GIPP programme.

    “We are providing employability training first degree holders for three weeks. The graduates will undergo rigorous in employability skills .”

    He emphasised that the government is committed to implementing new initiatives aimed at training, attracting, and retaining talent in critical sectors, thereby ensuring that Lagos emerges as a prominent center for innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth.

    He stated that Lagos presents a significant opportunity for ambitious youth and organisations seeking to invest in talent and skill development.

    The GIPP is a paid internship that offers post-NYSC graduates the chance to start a career while developing important behavioural competencies, emotional intelligence, and soft skills.

    The  post-NYSC Graduates are  selected through the Computer-Based Test (CBT) assessment, after which there would be a three-week Intensive employability training with globally accepted certifications. Upon completion, successful candidates will be placed on three-month Internships in various organisations based on the course of study with a monthly stipend of N60,000 by the Lagos State Government.

  • Researchers advocate policy coordination to tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria

    Researchers advocate policy coordination to tackle youth unemployment in Nigeria

    Researchers have urged effective coordination of empowerment policies among Federal Government agencies to address the rising youth unemployment in Nigeria.

    Speaking on Friday, they emphasized the need to minimize political interference in the selection process for skills empowerment programs, ensuring that only genuinely interested participants receive training to start businesses. 

    This, they noted, would prevent instances where trained individuals sell their starter kits instead of putting them to productive use.

    The call was made by researchers under the Partnership for Economic Policy (PEP), supported by the Mastercard Foundation. 

    The team conducted a study on the “challenges facing youth employment in Africa,” with a focus on Nigeria.

    Dr. Oluwashola Omoju, an Economist and Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), presented the findings during a National Policy Conference on Youth Employment Policies held in Abuja.

    Dr Omoju who is the team lead of the research programme, said

    PEP is an International research organisation based in Nairobi, Kenya which partners with De La Salle University, Philippines and Department of Economics, Universite Laval, Canada, dedicated to supporting development in the Global South.

    The conference he said enabled the researchers to present their findings on youth unemployment and government youth empowerment policies in Nigeria as well as, harvest stakeholders opinion on the research report which was carried out across seven African countries.

    He The research was funded by PEP and MasterCard Foundation.

    Dr Omoju said: This research was conducted in seven African countries just to understand the challenges facing youth employment in Africa and what are the ways that we can actually address this challenge.

    So in the case of Nigeria, we found that the government has several youth employment policies, but despite this proliferation of these youth employment policies, youth unemployment rate continues to increase.

    “So we wanted to see whether these youth programmes are working or whether they are not working. If they are working, what is making them to work? If they are not working, why are they not working?

    “So some of the things we found out is that first, youth unemployment rate is higher in Nigeria compared to the overall unemployment rate.

    “So that means unemployment is a bigger issue among young people than among the general populace.

    “Now in addition to the youth unemployment, we also have this issue of youth not in employment, not in education and not in training.

    “So, it is one thing for you, if you don’t have a job. But if you are not having a job, you could probably be could be in school or you could be in training.

    “But there are some categories of youth, they are not working, they are not going to school and they are not in any training.

    “So that is even a bigger challenge, because if you are educated and you don’t have a job, I think there is still some level of social mobility.

    Now what are the things we found? In all these programmes, there are lots of them, government has spent a lot of money but we found out that there’s problem of lack of coordination.

    “So as I mentioned during my presentation, sometimes you see the Central Bank have their own Youth employment programme, Ministry of Women Affairs has its own, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Bank of Industry all have.

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    “But the problem is that nobody is coordinating all this. So they are just doing it in silence and that is why you heard one of the comments from the floor that we should just have only one and we should make sure it is focused.

    “So that is one issue. Another issue we found out is that of political influence in the implementation of this programme. So you see that a lot of people are benefiting from this programme. They are actually not people that have interest in the programme. But just because maybe a politician recommended them, they are part of the programme.

    “And that is why you see a situation where somebody finished the empowerment programme, is given a kit and at the end of the day, they go and sell those kits.

    “Also we have this issue of weak monitoring and implementation framework. Now when you have this type of programme, it’s always very important to be monitoring the implementation.

    To say, ‘okay, as implementation is going on, what are the challenges?’ How can we improve the implementation to make it better, so that it would be more effective? But in most cases, we don’t have that.

    “And the issue of evaluation, for some of these programmes we don’t see any evaluation report.

    “And one very important issue is that some of these programmes are not inclusive. We have people living with disability. We have people that have been internally displaced because of conflicts. We also have young women. So some of these programmes are not inclusive in the sense that they don’t carry them along.

    “For example, now we ask people with disability to apply for some of these programmes, you ask them to apply online. So how does somebody that is blind apply online? So we need to start thinking about how can we actually incorporate these people into some of this youth empowerment programme.”

    In her opening remarks, Dr Emily Ikhide, one of the researchers, said that Nigeria is bedeviled by many crisis which she blamed on youth exclusion.

    “The message we want to leave with everyone of us is reflected in the second anthem on the Nigerian National Anthem, there is  something that has to do with the youths there.

    “Youth are important, we have been getting it wrong in Nigeria, if things are not working well, I want everybody to think about it, it is because we have refused to identify with the youths.

    “They are the ones to drive the economy, and until we allow them to drive the economy with the way their minds works; God has a reason for even saying they have the strength, they have the energy, their minds are thinking fast.

    “As long as we choose not to involve the youth, we will probably just remain in this area where we are.

    “We have to think about it, policy makers, they need to think about it. We cannot be making policies that restrict the youths, we do not have them on the table of decision making process, and then we think we make decisions for them on how they should do things? It is not going to work. We need to come back,” she said.

  • ‘Youth unemployment undermines Africa’s growth potential’

    A labour expert, Ms Cynthia SamuelOlonjuwon, has said Africa’s large population should be a demographic dividend, if properly harnessed. According to her, underemployment, unemployment, informality and working poverty have remained persistent challenges on the continent.

    Ms. Samuel Olonjuwon, who is an International Labour Organisation (ILO) Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, said a staggering 95 per cent of young African workers were engaged in informal employment coupled with other challenges, while around 38 per cent others were  working poor.

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    Speaking at a workshop in Abuja, Olonjuwon said while the region continues to witness frequent situations of disaster, conflict or fragility, the youths are the most vulnerable, noting that from 2000 to 2014, employment grew at an average annual rate of only 1.8 per cent. She said while the labour force grew at an annual rate of three per cent, almost twice as fast and if the trend continues, Africa will have an additional 100 million unemployed youth by 2030.

    To her, Africa must observe that  the youth crisis in Africa is an employment crisis that affects the whole economy and community and not just the youth.

  • Why we must tackle youth unemployment, by Atiku

    PEOPLE’S Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar yesterday warned that jobs must be created for youths, “if not, we will get mobbed one day by the unemployed youths”.

    He said job creation plays an integral role in economy’s growth.

    Atiku stated this during a business summit in Lagos with stakeholders in the business sector to discuss the state of the economy and how to get Nigeria working again.

    The engagement is part of his policy document to get Nigeria working again.

    Noting that the harsh economic realities were responsible for the present wave of unemployment, Atiku, in the company of his running mate Peter Obi, said it was very heartbreaking to see unemployed youths begging for alms.

    He said: “We must create jobs, if not we will get mobbed one day by the unemployed youths. They are like a time bomb… When businesses are folding up , shops are closing , industries are falling, foreign direct investments are not attracted; poverty is embarrassingly becoming our trademark, the rating of our hardwork businessmen by international rating agencies is becoming decimal; when we have a government that has remained insensitive to all these, I feel it is the time not only to offer myself for service to salvage the situation, but also to reiterate my aim to create a strong, resilient and prosperous economy that creates jobs and opportunities for all of us.”

    Obi, who cited China economy, said one of the ways Nigeria can tackle the issue of unemployment is to invest in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

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    “We should be willing to work with people that can learn from nations. The only way to tackle unemployment aggressively is to look at other nations you can compare us with and see how they have been able to address that.  The best nation we can learn from is China. How did China solve the problem of unemployment? They achieved that by using the MSMES.  Sixty per cent of employment in China today comes from that sector. That percentage is responsible for the industrial output and GDP increase. They supported MSMEs. We need to do same here.”

    Atiku also reiterated his plan to privatise the petroleum and electricity sector while clearly stating that he has no plans to assume the role of Minister of Petroleum, if elected. He also promised that his cabinet would constitute 30% of women and 40% of youths as well giving education a key role in his administration.

    On tackling corruption, Atiku said technology will be a right approach.

    “We are more educated than the UAE and one of the ways they have been able to ensure that there is minimal corruption is to introduce technology-driven governance. They tried to eliminate personal contact between members of the faculty with government officials.  We can finally eliminate corruption because it is being played virtually in the public sector.  Don’t think we cannot do it, we can do it. I am just too impatient to see in my lifetime when poverty becomes redundant.”

  • Obaseki proffers technical education as panacea to youth unemployment

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said that the absence of a robust, well-modelled quality technical and vocational education is responsible for the frightening national unemployment figures.

    Governor Obaseki said this while delivering the 2018 National Alumni Lecture of the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, in Trenchard Hall, Ibadan, on Friday.

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    Other eminent Nigerians that have delivered the National Alumni Lecture include former Commonwealth Secretary General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin, Professor Grace Alele-Williams; the immediate-past National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigi-Oyegun; the late Chief Bola Ige and Gamaliel Onosode, amongst others.

    In the lecture entitled, Technical Education and Skills Acquisition As Imperative for Youth Empowerment, Obaseki said that a lot has to be done to change the perception of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) by fostering public support, redesigning the institutions and putting them under quality management.

    On his return to the school for the Alumni Lecture, the governor, who graduated from the university in 1976, said “It is indeed a great pleasure to return to this great institution, an intellectual haven that molded me in the very best traditions of research, leadership, administration, the arts, understanding of the values of life and the centrality of human progress as the measure of labour.”

    According to him, “we have neglected technical and vocational education for far too long.  The discrimination that polytechnic graduates still suffer after graduation is a clear illustration of this situation.  Many technical schools have been converted to regular schools to produce all sorts of “certificates”.

    “Others are simply glorified institutions with nothing technical about them; certainly not in the curriculum, not in technology nor in the faculties, facility and general infrastructure.  In this way, we have gradually lost the vision and mission of producing a cadre of skilled young Nigerians to perform technical responsibilities in government, industry and general services.

    “It is no wonder therefore, that many foreign investors bring their own staff using legal and underhand tactics to comply with or evade the quota system for expatriate labour.”

    On reforms in the TVET sub-sector in the state, he said, “We closed and redesigned the Government Science and Technical College in Benin, and we are currently rebuilding it to reflect contemporary requirements for a full-fledged technical college.  We have equally redesigned the courses to make them demand-driven. The World Bank being impressed by these strides has contributed 1.2 Million Dollars (400 Million Naira) to this project and is set to invest an additional 2.7 Million Dollars (one billion Naira) in the coming year.”

    He said the state government is carrying out surgical restructuring on the tertiary institutions, which include the restructuring of the state College of Agriculture into three new campuses in Iguoriakhi (Edo South), Uromi (Edo Central) and Agenebode (Edo North) as well as the Edo State Polytechnic in Usen (formerly Institute of Management and Technology), which is being repurposed to serve the needs of the state and the private sector.

    On the state government’s job creation drive, he said, “In order to further create stronger linkages between industry and job seekers, one of the first initiatives of my government was to create EdoJobs, an initiative that has now evolved into a Skills Development Centre.  The objective was first, to obtain data on the numbers, qualifications, locations, and interests of Edo youths.  Second, was to provide training and employability support, and the third was to match the trained youths with private sector employers through the new synergy we have established. So far, over 45,000 jobs have been created through self-employment or placements with the private sector.”

    Noting that there has been an aggressive drive to reposition the state as an investment destination, he said, “The State Government has designed a development strategy based on widespread consultation with stakeholders.  Based on our six thematic pillars – Institutional Reform, Economic Revolution, Infrastructure Development, Socio-welfare Enhancement, Environmental Sustainability and Culture and Tourism.

    “We have commenced the design and the development of a 996 hectares Industrial Park and development of the Benin River Port. We have also successfully launched a new industrial programme including revision of incentives to investors, introduction of new technology in revenue collection, establishing a Public Private Partnership office and an Edo Investment Promotion Bureau, initiating an Ease of Doing Business campaign and establishing an Industrial Park.”

    Earlier, the National President, University of Ibadan Alumni Association, Dr. Kemi Emina, said that Governor Obaseki’s leadership style in Edo stood him out for this year’s lecture.

    Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, said that the number of graduates produced yearly requires a well-planned strategy to integrate them into the Nigerian economy.

    Olayinka said graduates would need to augment their education with technical education and vocational training to be able to surmount the challenge of unemployment.

     

  • Lawmakers urge ministry to check youth unemployment

    The Senate and the House of Representatives Committees on Employment, Labour and Productivity have urged the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, to tackle youth unemployment.

    According to them, he should widen the scope of the various vocational skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes being anchored by the ministry.

    In separate remarks during the ministry’s 2018  budget defence, both Chairmen, Sen. Suleiman Nasif and Rep. Ezenwa  Onyebuchi, noted that employment generation was a critical area, which the ministry needed to do more upon the passage of the 2018 budget.

    The committees expressed readiness to visit the ministry’s projects sites with a view to ascertaining the level of compliance and implementation.

    In his presentation, the Ngige said the ministry did well in both structural and service delivery as a result of the concerted and diligent implementation of budgeted projects and prorammes in the 2017 appropriation despite paucity of budgetary releases.

    He said: “We were operating on only 20 per cent budgetary release until January 2018. Our budget performance for 2017 would have surpassed the expectation of Nigerians and critical stakeholders if not for the paucity of funds for the implementation of plans and programmes in critical areas of capacity building, strengthening of labour councils and other capital projects, which were not fully funded due to the global economic recession.

    “We are very hopeful that we will be able to complete many of the outstanding projects and programmes of all the line items of our 2017 budget before capital budget appropriation closes in March 2018. We are happy that the financial portals have just been re-opened. We, however, pledge to do more before the end of March 2018.”