By Chioma Obinna

To say the situation for young people in today’s labour market is challenging is to say the least in the face of Nigeria’s grim statistics of 53.7 per cent youth unemployment rate, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS. Sadly, findings have shown that high youth unemployment presents serious global social and economic challenges as well as increased poverty and insecurity.

For countries like Nigeria, the worst may be yet to come with an economic downturn worsened by challenges of foreign exchange which has caused many manufacturing companies to shut down throwing more youths into the already saturated labour market.

Today, with 62 per cent of the Nigerian population below age 25, the country has one of the highest youth populations in the world. According to statistics from NBS by the second quarter of 2020, over 13.9 million young Nigerians were unemployed while millions were also underemployed or in uncertain jobs.
However, 34 year-old, Mustapha Fasasi, from Oyo State, is lucky to be rescued from the clutches of unemployment. Fasasi was recently trained on solar panel installation for homes and small businesses by the Alliance for Youth Nigeria.

The Alliance for Youth Nigeria which was launched in August 2021 comprises organisations of like minds including Nestlé Nigeria, Jobberman Nigeria, Big Bottling Company, the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria and U-Connect HR Limited with the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund and Activate Success International as partner organisations. Prior interest in solar and renewable energy, Mustapha signed up for the vocational skills training hosted by the Alliance for Youth Nigeria, as soon as he heard about the training through a radio programme.

According to elated Mustapha, “The training was an extremely rewarding experience for me as I have been equipped with the hands-on skills and knowledge required to immediately commence solar panel installations and start earning income to support myself and my family. I look forward to further personal development till I become an expert in this sector.”

Mustapha is just one out of the over 500 Nigerian youths in Kano and Ibadan who were equipped with various skills in line with the 2030 SDGs by the Alliance.

Over the last two years, the Alliance has empowered over 16,000 young people with employability and entrepreneurial training, internship and mentoring opportunities equipping them for the world of work and business.

The Alliance had planned to reach over 250,000 young Nigerians with employability and entrepreneurial skills to enable them to get gainful employment or set up businesses of their own within 3 years.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal, SDGs- 8 has stressed the need for countries and organizations to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all by 2030.

It also emphasised increasing the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship by 2030.

However, the grim statistics of the unemployment rate call for innovative and hands-on interventions, including entrepreneurship education, to reverse the trend. But, many thanks to the Alliance for Youth Nigeria which has positioned itself to invest in various joint and individual initiatives to give young Nigerians meaningful work experience, internships, readiness-for-work training, and mentoring opportunities. Evident is the recent conclusion of a vocational skills training programme, delivered in collaboration with the Whitefield Foundation which enabled young people to acquire knowledge, skills and confidence for self-sustainability.

The programme covered four skillsets – Solar panel installation, Graphics Design and Social Media Management, Beauty Care (make-up, aromatherapy and massage) and Web Development and Digital Marketing.

The selected skill sets were identified as quick-to-market and high-impact economic areas with immediate opportunities for earning a decent income and improving livelihood.

In commemoration of the 2023 International Youth Day and the second anniversary of the Alliance, high-flyers of the vocational skills training in Ibadan and Kano, were gifted start-up kits to enable the speedy commencement of their businesses. High-flyers from the graphics design and digital marketing training were provided laptops; those from the Beauty, massage and aromatherapy training were provided make-up tool kits and massage beds while high-flyers from the solar panel installation training were awarded complete toolboxes for their vocation.

In the views of the President of the Alliance and Programme Manager Partnerships, Jobberman
Nigeria, Ahmed Alaga, “Young people are the engine for growth and development, a huge resource and great asset for national advancement. The Alliance for Youth Nigeria is committed to supporting young Nigerians with the skills, training and knowledge that will increase their chances of getting gainful employment opportunities or becoming entrepreneurs, unleashing their true potential”.

Speaking, during the Ibadan event, the Vice President of the Alliance and Country HR
Manager, Nestlé Nigeria PLC, Shakiru Lawal, said, “Young people are central in building the nation we all desire. At Nestlé, we believe that communities cannot thrive if we fail to offer a future to them. This is why we are committed to working with stakeholders and like-minded organizations to help young people develop their skills so they can find jobs or create their businesses. I am delighted that the trainees have acquired capacities and capabilities to make a difference, and enhance opportunities for self-employment and economic productivity.”

Describing the trainees as exceptional trainees being provided with start-up kits, Lawal urged them to positively use these skills to make a living and serve their communities.

Speaking, the Secretary of the Alliance and Senior Manager, Participant Engagement &
Programmes, UN Global Compact Nigeria Network, Tumi Onamade, who was at the Ibadan programme, said they were united in celebration of two impactful years of collaborative youth empowerment.

“At the United Nations Global Compact Network Nigeria, we recognize that scaling up action and investing in youth not only creates economic opportunities but also helps businesses grow and stay sustainable, echoing SDG 8: Decent work and Economic Growth. To the beneficiaries of the start-up kits, you are now empowered with skills and equipped with tools; embrace this opportunity to turn your dreams into thriving realities. Your journey starts now! As we commemorate International Youth Day, we reaffirm our commitment to the Alliance for Youth Nigeria, fostering SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. Our journey as an Alliance remains unwavering bound by purpose and guided by the firm belief that by investing in youth today, we build a stronger tomorrow”.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Abubakar Ismail said: “With the huge number of youth entering the labour market annually in Nigeria, and limited job opportunities in the formal sector, skills-based entrepreneurship remains a viable option for economic empowerment, job creation especially in the small and medium enterprise sector, and improvement of the general standard of living. Globally, entrepreneurs have advanced development through innovations in all sectors. The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development is committed to the development of appropriate Policy Frameworks, such as the National Youth Policy which has employment and entrepreneurship as strategic thrusts and the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan, with a priority focus on employability, entrepreneurship, employment creation equality and rights. We are delighted to be part of the Alliance for Youth Nigeria and will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to create opportunities for youth development”.

Responding on behalf of the trainees, Mustapha Fasisi thanked the facilitators of the training for what he described as a ‘huge benefit’ to them, adding that the training was easy for them to understand and implement. “We are deeply grateful to the Alliance for investing in upskilling young people and further awarding those of us who excelled at the training with start-up kits. We promise to maximally deploy the skills and tools to commence our businesses”.

On her part, Mariya Ahmad Jibrin, who participated in the Kano training in the graphics design category expressed her gratitude to the Alliance for the transformative training experience which has equipped her with the skills to create impactful designs, affirming that the laptop provided to her as a start-up kit is an invaluable and treasured support for her business.

The International Youth Day celebrated annually on 12 August, is an opportunity for governments, internationally and nationally, and other stakeholders to draw attention to youth issues worldwide, particularly as related to health, education and employment while celebrating the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”.

Vanguard News