A study on Good Work conducted by the Network of Youth for Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (NGUthSDG) in collaboration with Unifor Social Justice Fund has revealed that seven out of 10 Nigerian youth have experienced some form of abuse in the workplace.
According to the report, abuses ranged from unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions to harassment. The study said many victims remain silent out of fear of losing their jobs and a deep distrust in existing protection systems.
The research conducted between October and November 2025 surveyed 2,149 young Nigerians aged 15 to 35 across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It paints a grim picture of widespread exploitation, weak labor protections and poor implementation of workplace rights.
According to the report, 71 percent of respondents said they had experienced a workplace violation, while only 29 percent did not report any violations.
73.8 percent of youth were trapped in informal or mixed employment arrangements without any written contracts or social protection, making them highly vulnerable to abuse.
The study revealed that 57.5 percent of young people said they knew that rights existed in the workplace, but only 40 percent knew where to report violations. Meanwhile, only 30 percent said they trust government policies to adequately protect youth employment rights.
Only 43 percent of respondents said they received any training on workplace rights.
“We cannot design labor policies without listening to young people,” Joshua Alade, founder of NYouthSDG, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
He added: “This study highlights a harsh reality: Nigerian youth know their rights exist, but most have no idea how to enforce them. The result is generalized exploitation. Awareness alone is not protection; we need action.”
According to him, the Youth Participation Research Project on Decent Work in Nigeria builds on NYouthSDG’s long-standing work on youth employment, labor rights and policy engagement, including previous collaboration with the International Labor Organization on the WorkWise Youth Guide and Youth Contribution to the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (2021-2024).
She said NYouthSDG plans to organize a series of skill-building and labor rights workshops between February and May 2026, along with stakeholder dialogues with labor unions, employers, policymakers and international development partners.
