Federal Government and UNICEF Seek Youth Employment Blueprint for Nigeria

Nigeria’s Federal Government and UNICEF are seeking a youth employment plan that connects skills training with real demand in the labor market. Their call came Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, at a consultation on updating the Nigeria Youth Employment Action Plan for 2025 to 2030.

The two-day meeting brought together officials, development partners, private-sector representatives and young people from the South-west, South-east and South-south geopolitical zones. Organizers said the consultation would review existing strategies and develop practical responses to changing labor-market trends and the evolving nature of work.

Bakare Abayomi, representing the minister of youth development, said the review should assess progress, identify gaps and produce sustainable measures to improve employment outcomes. He said tackling youth unemployment could not rest with government alone, calling for closer cooperation among federal and state authorities, employers, private companies, civil society groups, development partners, training institutions and young people.

Abayomi pointed to the creative economy, technology and digital services, agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, maritime activities, oil and gas, tourism, construction and other services as sectors with job-creation potential in southern Nigeria. He urged state governments and State Youth Employment Action Committees to take greater responsibility for the agenda and said the revised plan should be coordinated, inclusive, evidence-based and responsive to local conditions.

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development said the consultation’s recommendations would shape the national framework. It said the revised plan would give particular attention to young women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Speaking for UNICEF’s representative in Nigeria, adolescent development specialist Ngozi Izuora said young Nigerians should be treated as strategic partners in developing policies that affect them.