The International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Federal Government have called for a practical and coordinated Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) 2025–2030 to create more jobs, improve young Nigerians’ employability and address challenges affecting their transition from school to work.
The call was made on Monday in Abuja during a stakeholder consultation on the review of the youth employment framework, convened by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development with technical support from the ILO through the SEESIN project under the GIZ-SKYE II Programme. The meeting brought together representatives of government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), development partners and other stakeholders to review the previous plan and develop a stronger framework for youth employment.
Speaking at the consultation, ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Ms Vanessa Phala, represented by the National Project Coordinator, Ms Aisha Dirisu, said the review provided an opportunity to develop an evidence-based, inclusive and private-sector-responsive framework.
Phala said the revised plan should address youth employment, employability, entrepreneurship and decent work while tackling skills mismatches, informal employment, school-to-work transitions and limited access to finance.
She said the review should also examine the implementation of NIYEAP 2021–2024 to determine what worked, what failed and the factors behind its successes and shortcomings.
According to her, the revised NIYEAP 2025–2030 should take advantage of emerging opportunities in the digital and green economies, including artificial intelligence, creative industries, renewable energy, agriculture and manufacturing.
Phala stressed that stronger coordination among government institutions, social partners, the private sector, development partners and youth organisations would be critical to achieving the plan’s objectives.
She urged stakeholders to ensure that the consultation produced practical and implementation-focused recommendations rather than simply identifying priorities.
Phala said the revised plan should clearly define institutional responsibilities, financing arrangements and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective implementation.
She urged stakeholders to translate their contributions into concrete actions, stressing that the success of NIYEAP 2025–2030 would depend on ownership, coordination and sustained commitment.
Meanwhile, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Mohammed Dingyadi, called for the NIYEAP 2025–2030 to be aligned with the revised National Employment Policy (NEP) 2025.
Dingyadi, represented by the Assistant Director, Employment and Wages Department, Mrs Cecilia Williams, said aligning the two frameworks was necessary to ensure policy coherence, institutional coordination and effective implementation of youth employment programmes.
The minister said decent work must remain at the centre of Nigeria’s youth employment agenda, with jobs providing fair opportunities, appropriate working conditions, workers’ rights and social protection.
He also identified artificial intelligence, green jobs, renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, creative industries and manufacturing as sectors with significant potential to create opportunities for young Nigerians.
Dingyadi urged stakeholders to draw lessons from NIYEAP 2021–2024 and develop a realistic framework capable of producing measurable improvements in youth employment and livelihoods.
Also speaking, Mr Meke Ugwuogu, Director overseeing Enterprise Development and Promotion at the Ministry of Youth Development, said the consultation was aimed at enriching the plan and ensuring sustainable employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Ugwuogu said the focus was not only on creating jobs but on ensuring that the jobs available to young people were sustainable and capable of improving their livelihoods.
He added that the review would address employment mismatches and promote inclusion by ensuring disadvantaged young people were carried along and given opportunities to catch up.
Ugwuogu expressed optimism that contributions from MDAs, development partners and other stakeholders would produce a comprehensive plan capable of addressing Nigeria’s youth employment challenges.
The consultation was convened by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, with technical support from the ILO through the SEESIN project under the GIZ-SKYE II Programme.
