Nearly 80 million young Nigerians are unemployed, representing 53 per cent of the youth population.
This is contained in the State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, presented in Abuja yesterday by Jonathan Abakpa, Advocacy and Youth Programme Officer at Plan International Nigeria at the Nigerian Youth Dialogue in commemoration of the International Youth Day organised by the House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament. The report said each year, about 1.7 million graduates leave tertiary institutions, but jobs remain elusive.
It warned that unemployment, insecurity, and a deepening trust deficit in governance are pushing the country’s young population into cycles of vulnerability and exclusion. “With more than 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, insecurity, poverty, and poor infrastructure continue to weigh heavily on young people. Unless urgent action is taken, the country risks losing its greatest asset.
“This is not just a statistic. It represents shattered dreams and wasted talent. The desperation is pushing many into irregular migration, cybercrime, and other risky coping mechanisms.” Beyond joblessness, insecurity was flagged as a major factor shaping the lives of young Nigerians. According to the report, more than 600,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million kidnapped in recent years. Many victims are young people.
“The tragedy of insecurity is not only the loss of lives but also the collapse of opportunities. Over 1,500 schools have been shut down in the past two years, leaving one million children out of school. Education, which should be a ladder of opportunity, has been violently pulled away from them.”
The report also noted how violence has crippled farming communities. Over 77,000 lives have been lost to tribal conflicts in the last five years, while 2.6 million people—mainly from farming areas—have been displaced. With farmers unable to access their lands, UNICEF has warned that 25 million Nigerians risk hunger.
According to the report, 40.1 per cent of Nigerians, over 82.9 million people, live in poverty. For young people, this deepens the struggle for survival. “Poverty is not just about empty pockets, it is about restricted choices and wasted futures,” Abakpa said.
Corruption, too, was listed as a major barrier to progress. The report noted that it drains resources meant for development and further erodes trust in governance. Chairman of the House Committee on Youth in Parliament, Hon. Ayodeji Alao-Akala, restated his commitment to advancing youth-focused policies, describing Nigerian youths as the future of the nation.
He said the National Assembly had devoted significant time to passing bills and motions aimed at creating a more enabling environment for young people to thrive. The State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025 was produced by Plan International Nigeria in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria, with contributions from policy and advocacy experts
