Nigeria's Youth Unemployment Crisis Amid Government Initiatives

On International Youth Day, August 12, 2024, Nigeria's youth employment situation is scrutinized amid various government programs. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported an overall unemployment rate of 4.3% and a youth unemployment rate of 6.5% in Q2 2024.

However, the State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, published by Plan International and ActionAid Nigeria, indicated a staggering 53% youth unemployment rate, suggesting that nearly 80 million young Nigerians are jobless. Each year, approximately 1.7 million graduates enter a job market unable to absorb them.

The NBS figures include informal work, which often lacks stability and fair compensation. The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has implemented the Renewed Hope Employment Initiative (RHEI), training 32,886 unemployed Nigerians in Phase I and 33,692 in Phase II, though many trainees remain unpaid.

President Bola Tinubu launched the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) in March 2025, aiming to train 7 million young people in various skills by December 2025.