Nigeria, Africa's largest economy, stands at a critical moment in its development journey. Nearly 60 percent of the population is youth, a demographic reality that can either accelerate economic transformation or deepen existing challenges.
Moving from demography to development requires more than acknowledging this gain; This calls for deliberate investment in education, skills, innovation and job creation.
When harnessed effectively, Nigeria's youth potential can become the engine that drives inclusive growth, productivity and long-term national prosperity.
As the country joins with the rest of the world to celebrate the International Day of Education 2026 with the theme: “The Power of Youth in Co-constructing Education” the country should recognize youth and their role as agents of change in achieving inclusive and equitable quality education and building peaceful, just and inclusive societies.
Challenges
Nigerian youth face systemic challenges such as unemployment, skills mismatch with the educational system, widespread insecurity and endemic corruption.
The 2025 Lagos Economic Development Update (LEDU) highlights a paradox in the labor market. On an average, the monthly labor demand consists of 2,837 job vacancies, while the supply consists of 3,318 job seekers.
However, 816 job seekers, i.e. 26 per cent, lack both education and experience, reducing the number of employable candidates to 2,502.
The LEDU report shows that while job seekers have flooded the market, employers are struggling to find qualified candidates for key roles.
According to the International Labor Organization, the youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is set to rise to 6.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Multiple surveys show that more than 70 percent of employers report difficulty filling roles due to a lack of job-ready talent.
The skills mismatch gap contributes to youth unemployment and underemployment, as many youth move into low-paid, informal jobs that do not match their qualifications.
Experts argue that to harness youth potential, Nigeria must integrate education, industry and government, addressing systemic issues such as regional disparities and insufficient resources to meet modern labor demands.
He stressed that poor funding, weak university-industry linkages, lack of digital infrastructure, shortage/inadequacy of teachers and a negative mindset are hindering innovation and skills development among Nigerian youth.
“There is a lot of unemployment because the wants and needs of employers and employees are mismatched,” said Olajumoke Familoni, president of the International Center for Leadership and Entrepreneurial Development (ICLED).
“Employers are more interested in what an employee brings to the table, skills, leadership quality, teamwork and critical thinking, rather than paper qualifications.”
Oyewole Sarumi, Professor of Strategic Leadership and Digital Transformation at Promontory University, Delaware, USA, said underfunding of technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is jeopardizing the potential of youth and the growth of the country's economy.
He said, “The core of this crisis is persistent financial neglect, which reflects deep-seated social prejudice. The national education budget disproportionately supports the general educational stream, especially universities, while treating polytechnics and technical colleges as secondary priorities.”
Nigeria's budgetary allocation for education has been less than 10 percent of total expenditure over the years. From 2015 to 2025, education allocation has declined from 10.75 percent of the national budget to just 5.47 percent.
According to UNESCO, between 15 percent and 20 percent of a country's annual budget should be allocated to education. However, Nigeria has consistently lagged behind this benchmark, with education allocation being below eight percent for most of the last 10 years.
President Bola Tinubu had earmarked N3.5 trillion for education in 2025, but figures from the 2024 budget show that only N1.59 trillion, 5.5 per cent of the N28.77 trillion, was allocated for education.
By providing young people with the tools to learn, adapt and create, education empowers them to contribute more effectively to the economy and society.
Solution
Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development at Babcock University, Ajibade Ayodeji, has urged the government to prioritize youth empowerment through competency-based education.
“I think it is time that our government prioritizes something that is very important for the nation. Taking people out of poverty, giving them education, proper education does things for a nation that infrastructure cannot do.
“Only if our government understands that countries like China and South Korea at one point prioritized certain types of education, and they have contributed to where we are today, will they realize that Nigeria needs to do the same,” he said.
Similarly, Christopher Itua, head of industrial services and development at the Institute for Industrial Technology (IIT), stressed the need for an education system that integrates classroom instruction with on-the-job training, to ensure that students receive both the theoretical foundation and practical experience needed to succeed in the 21st century workplace.
