Youth unemployment: Stakeholders urge states to align skills training with labour market needs

STAKEHOLDERS in labour, business and youth development have urged state governments to align skills development programmes with local labour market needs to tackle youth unemployment and prepare young Nigerians for emerging employment opportunities.

They also called for stronger collaboration between governments, employers and training institutions to bridge skills gaps, expand job opportunities and build a workforce capable of supporting sustainable economic growth.

The stakeholders made the call at the Productive Youth Network (PYN) Future of Work Summit 3.0, in Abuja, themed, “Nigeria of Possibilities: Building State-Driven, Future-Ready Workforce Systems.”

Speaking during a panel session, former Secretary to the Adamawa State Government, Umar Bindir, said Nigeria’s persistent development challenges required effective leadership, reliable data and innovative solutions, stressing that the expansion of educational institutions had yet to translate into adequate solutions to the country’s socioeconomic problems.

He noted that the country had expanded its university system from about five to seven institutions at independence to more than 300, but continued to struggle with poverty, poor access to healthcare and a growing number of out-of-school children.

“We have a structure to develop the critical mass of skilful young people to solve these problems. But the problem is still there,” Bindir said.

From a workforce development perspective, he stressed that governments needed accurate data to determine the skills required by employers, the number of people seeking work and the training needed to connect jobseekers with available opportunities.

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“Data drives everything. Whoever becomes a leader must know, how many primary schools do I have? How many children do I have? How many teachers do I need? How many books do I need? How many hospitals do I have? How many people who need healthcare? This data has to be there,” he said.

Bindir lamented the inadequacy of quality data collection at the subnational level, urging state governments to strengthen their capacity to gather and use reliable information in planning employment, education and social development programmes.

He also challenged young Nigerians to look beyond government employment and acquire the skills and professional networks needed to pursue sustainable careers.

“Make sure you develop the network so that you can develop a career. There are enough jobs for you. But don’t think that government will just hire you,” he said.

Using the challenge of out-of-school children, particularly Almajiri pupils, as an example, Bindir urged young entrepreneurs to develop innovative products and services that address social problems while creating economic opportunities.

President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Institute of Forensics and Certified Fraud Examiners of Nigeria, Dr Iliyasu Gashinbaki, identified agriculture as a major source of employment capable of accommodating workers with different educational backgrounds and technical competencies.

He said mechanisation and equipment maintenance could also expand employment opportunities, citing his company’s experience in repairing more than 2,000 trucks over five years.

According to him, the company’s equipment recovery operations provide opportunities to train engineers, technicians and mechanics, demonstrating how industrial activities could support practical skills acquisition and employment.

Gashinbaki disclosed that further interventions were planned in Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau and Jigawa states.

He also offered to collaborate with the youth network to connect participants with technical training opportunities, while proposing partnerships to support women and young people through his cooperative and financial advisory centre.

Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Women, Youth Engagement and Impact, Hauwa Liman, said inadequate confidence, exclusion from policymaking and cultural barriers continued to restrict the economic participation of young people and women.

She argued that employment and empowerment programmes would deliver better results if governments and development organisations involved intended beneficiaries in identifying their needs and designing interventions.

Liman said differences in social, economic and cultural conditions across states made it necessary to develop employment strategies that reflected local realities, particularly when addressing the barriers confronting women in rural communities.

She maintained that programmes designed without adequate understanding of the circumstances of intended beneficiaries could fail to produce sustainable results.

Also speaking, Head of Youth and Women Banking Products and Customer Services at First Bank, Sandra Maduabuchi, said the ability to develop a viable business remained an important consideration in efforts to expand employment through entrepreneurship.

She stressed that entrepreneurs needed to establish genuine market demand for their products and services rather than assume that Nigeria’s large population automatically guaranteed customers.

“Out of the 200 million, how many people are able to pay for the value you’re creating? How many people are willing to pay for?” she asked.

Maduabuchi urged state governments to identify local economic needs and create demand and incentives for enterprises capable of addressing them, while investors, incubators and corporate organisations provided financing, technical assistance and access to customers.

Such partnerships, she suggested, could help viable businesses grow and create employment opportunities for young people.

Founder of the Productive Youth Network,  Mohammed Onotu, said Nigeria’s diverse economic landscape required state governments to identify and develop their respective comparative advantages.

“Every state has its own uniqueness,” Onotu said, arguing that state-specific development strategies and collaboration among stakeholders could help maximise local resources and expand economic opportunities.

He explained that the summit brought together participants from different sectors and states to identify areas of economic strength, explore partnerships and develop practical responses to workforce challenges.

Onotu added that the network intended to extend the initiative to states across the country through partnerships with organisations familiar with local conditions.