By Mary Ann Ogbu
For many young Nigerians, learning a skill feels like the first serious step towards becoming independent. It could be fashion, catering, coding, photography, hairdressing, digital marketing, agriculture or graphic design. The advice is often simple: learn a skill, and you will have something to fall back on.
But what happens when the training is over?
What happens when the certificate has been collected and the young person is still searching for a job, customers or a way to turn that skill into a steady source of income?
That is where Nigeria’s youth employment conversation becomes more complicated.
The challenge is no longer simply about teaching young people skills. It is about creating a clear path from those skills to real opportunities.
A young person can learn graphic design and still struggle to find clients. Someone can learn tailoring but lack money for equipment.
Sometimes, the problem is not what a young person knows or can do, but where that knowledge and ability can take them.
This is one of the issues receiving renewed attention from the Federal Government and the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
On September 28 and 29, 2026, the Federal Government and the ILO held a private-sector consultation in Lagos as part of the review of Nigeria’s Youth Employment Action Plan 2025 to 2030. The discussions focused on better connecting young people’s skills with the needs of employers and the wider economy.
The discussion included apprenticeships, internships, enterprise opportunities and decent work. At the centre of this conversation is Ayodele Olawande, Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development.
On September 30, Olawande urged officials in his ministry to focus on measurable results, including jobs created, businesses established, skills acquired and improved access to funding and markets.
This is an important approach.
A programme can train hundreds of people, but the real question is what happens afterwards. Did participants find jobs? Did they start businesses? Did their income improve? Did they gain practical experience?
Youth programmes should therefore be followed beyond the training stage. Measuring these outcomes would help government identify which programmes are working and where changes are needed.
Another recent development is the launch of the National Youth Data Bank on September 29. According to the Ministry of Youth Development, the initiative is intended to help identify young Nigerians and connect them with opportunities in employment, skills development, entrepreneurship, internships and digital programmes. Its success, however, should go beyond collecting information.
The system could become more valuable if it actively connects young people with employers, training opportunities, funding and other programmes based on their skills and needs.
The private sector also has an important role to play.
The government cannot create every job. Businesses need skilled workers, while young people need experience and opportunities to prove themselves. Stronger partnerships between businesses, educational institutions and government could create more internships and apprenticeships, giving young people practical experience before they enter the wider job market.
There is also a need to support young people who choose entrepreneurship.
Not every young Nigerian wants a traditional nine-to-five job. Many are building businesses in fashion, food, agriculture, technology and creative industries.
But having a skill or business idea is not always enough.
Young entrepreneurs may also need access to affordable equipment, finance, mentorship and customers. Skills programmes should therefore consider combining training with practical business support and access to markets.
It is also important to recognise that young Nigerians face different challenges depending on where they live and what they do. A graduate in Lagos may need different support from a young farmer or apprentice in another part of the country.
Youth programmes should therefore respond to local economic realities and the opportunities available in different communities.
Nigeria’s young people are often described as the leaders of tomorrow but they are already part of today’s Nigeria.
They are students, workers, entrepreneurs, artisans, professionals, creators and innovators. What they need is not simply encouragement to acquire skills, but systems that allow those skills to become useful in the real world.
The review of the Youth Employment Action Plan, the National Youth Data Bank and increased private-sector involvement provide an opportunity to rethink youth employment.
The next step is turning these efforts into opportunities that young people can actually reach.
Because the goal should not simply be to produce a generation of skilled young Nigerians. It should be to build a Nigeria where those skills can open doors.
