The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to addressing youth unemployment, setting a target of creating three million job opportunities annually as part of efforts to harness Nigeria’s growing youthful population for national development.
The commitment was highlighted at the inauguration of the Youth Policy Dialogue Series themed “Exploring Strategies for Effective Implementation of the National Youth Policy,” organised by the Conference of Speakers and Presidents of African Legislatures Secretariat and the Legislative Mentorship Initiative.
The high-level dialogue, held at the National Assembly Complex, brought together stakeholders from across the country to assess gaps in youth policy implementation and propose reforms.
Speaking at the event, Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the National Assembly Library Trust Fund, Henry Nwawuba, said the job creation target forms a core component of the government’s youth development agenda. He noted that beyond employment generation, efforts are underway to expand opportunities in agriculture, technology, security and innovation-driven sectors.
Nwawuba observed that although a National Youth Policy exists, many young Nigerians remain unaware of it or are unable to benefit due to weak implementation and limited sensitisation.
“There is in existence a National Youth Policy. The challenge is that many young people are not aware of it or are not taking advantage of its provisions,” he said, calling for stronger awareness campaigns and improved policy visibility.
He further emphasised that policy innovation and legislative engagement could unlock new employment pathways, particularly by leveraging agriculture, security and emerging technologies. He added that early and sustained awareness is essential to improving participation in government programmes that have historically recorded low uptake.
Also speaking, Secretary-General of CoSPAL, Dapo Oyewole, described Nigeria’s youthful population as a strategic asset that must be transformed into a demographic dividend. He stressed the need for government to prioritise opportunities, infrastructure and access to resources that enable young people to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Oyewole commended the Ministry of Youth Development for advancing youth-focused policies, noting that current efforts signal a growing commitment to inclusion.
“This is about ensuring that the youth policy becomes an actionable framework implemented jointly by government, civil society, and young people,” he said.
In his remarks, Speaker of the Nigerian Youth Parliament, Aliyu Idris Zakari, called for reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), proposing an increase in the age limit from 29 to between 33 and 35 years to accommodate more graduates.
He also advocated a review of age limits for recruitment into government agencies, arguing that socio-economic challenges often delay educational progression. Zakari further called for constitutional reforms to ensure that youth-focused political and administrative offices are occupied by individuals within the 18 to 35 age bracket, to guarantee genuine youth representation.
Stakeholders at the dialogue agreed that stronger collaboration among government institutions, civil society organisations and young people is critical to translating youth policies into tangible economic opportunities across the country.
