By Fatima Ndagi
Nigeria’s youth face a deepening crisis of joblessness, insecurity, and dwindling faith in governance, according to a new report by Plan International Nigeria.
The State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, launched Thursday at a dialogue hosted by the House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament to mark International Youth Day, revealed that 80 million young Nigerians—53 percent of the youth population—are unemployed, while more than 1,500 schools have been shut in the past two years due to insecurity.
“With over 200 million people and one of the largest youth populations in the world, Nigeria should be a powerhouse of innovation and growth. But the reality is stark: unemployment, poverty, and insecurity continue to weigh heavily on young people. Unless urgent action is taken, the country risks losing its greatest asset,” warned Jonathan Abakpa, Advocacy and Youth Programme Officer at Plan International.
The report, produced with ActionAid Nigeria and policy experts, noted that 1.7 million graduates leave tertiary institutions annually, but jobs remain scarce—driving many into irregular migration, cybercrime, and other risky coping mechanisms.
It further disclosed that over 600,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million kidnapped in recent years, with young people among the worst affected. Insecurity has also forced one million children out of school. “Education, which should be a ladder of opportunity, has been violently pulled away from them,” Abakpa said.
On food security, the report pointed to violence crippling farming communities, with 77,000 lives lost to tribal conflicts in five years and 2.6 million people displaced. UNICEF has warned that 25 million Nigerians risk hunger as farmers are cut off from their lands.
The poverty outlook remains grim, with 82.9 million Nigerians (40.1 percent of the population) living below the poverty line. The report also flagged a trust deficit between young people and the state, warning of growing alienation if policies fail to deliver.
Despite the dire statistics, the report emphasized that Nigerian youths remain innovators and change-makers. It urged government, the private sector, and development partners to scale up job creation, vocational training, and entrepreneurship schemes.
Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Ayodeji Alao-Akala, pledged legislative backing for youth-centered policies: “As a country, we cannot afford to ignore the aspirations of our youths. They are the future of Nigeria, and our responsibility as lawmakers is to ensure their potential is harnessed for national development.”