Over 80 Million Nigerian Youths Without Jobs, New Report Warns
- A new report says more than 80 million Nigerian youths are unemployed, with joblessness now at 53 percent
- Insecurity, poverty, and poor governance are forcing many into irregular migration, cybercrime, and survival crimes
- Lawmakers and advocacy groups call for urgent reforms, massive job creation, and constitutional right to basic education
More than 80 million Nigerian youths are currently unemployed, according to a new report presented in Abuja on Thursday.
The State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, jointly released by Plan International Nigeria and ActionAid Nigeria, put the unemployment rate among young people at 53 percent.
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It described the situation as the biggest challenge to the country’s stability and future development.
Report shows 80 million youths jobless
The report was unveiled during the Nigerian Youth Dialogue organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament to mark the 2025 International Youth Day.
Presenting the findings, Jonathan Abakpa, Advocacy and Youth Programme Officer at Plan International, said millions of young Nigerians are being driven into irregular migration, cybercrime, and other risky ventures due to joblessness, insecurity, and poor governance.
“This is not just a statistic. It represents shattered dreams and wasted talent. Unless urgent action is taken, Nigeria risks losing its greatest asset,” the report stated.
The study noted that about 1.7 million graduates enter the labour market every year, yet opportunities remain scarce.
Unemployment eroding community standards
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that youth unemployment rose by 5.3 percent in the first quarter of 2024, with only slight improvement in the second quarter.
Insecurity was identified as another factor eroding prospects for young people. The report said more than 600,000 Nigerians have been killed and 2.2 million kidnapped in recent years, many of them youths.
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It added that over 1,500 schools had been shut down in the last two years, pushing one million children out of classrooms.
It also warned that violence had crippled farming activities, displacing 2.6 million people and threatening food security for 25 million Nigerians, citing UNICEF data.
Widespread poverty, poor infrastructure, corruption, and digital exclusion were also listed as barriers to youth development.
Findings from a nationwide “We Listen Survey” showed regional differences in challenges. Unemployment and insecurity dominated the North Central; banditry and kidnapping plagued the North East and North West; inflation and underemployment weighed heavily on the South West and South East; while lack of access to education was most pressing in the South South.
Despite the bleak outlook, the report pointed to resilience among Nigerian youths, particularly in the technology and creative sectors.
Report recommends remedies to problem
It recommended large-scale job creation schemes, industry-driven vocational training, stronger social protection, and accountability in governance. It also called for Universal Basic Education to be enshrined as a constitutional right.
Chairman of the House Committee on Youth in Parliament, Hon. Ayodeji Alao-Akala, pledged continued support for policies that empower the younger generation. He said the National Assembly is committed to passing legislation that creates opportunities and ensures Nigerian youths inherit a better future.
“Our task as leaders is to make sure the children of tomorrow inherit a country better than what we met, with more opportunities and less hardship,” Alao-Akala said.
FG opens new online portal to provide free loans
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Federal Government had officially opened the application portal for YouthCred, a new initiative that provides Nigerian youths, especially NYSC members and young entrepreneurs, access to loans without the usual hurdles of collateral or a long credit history.
The programme, powered by the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CrediCorp), is part of a broader move to transform Nigeria’s credit culture and financially empower the next generation.
Source: Legit.ng
