A new report by Plan International Nigeria has revealed that nearly 80 million Nigerian youths are unemployed, while more than 1,500 schools have been forced to shut down in the past two years due to worsening insecurity.
The findings, contained in the State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025, were presented in Abuja on Wednesday by the organisation’s Advocacy and Youth Programme Officer, Jonathan Abakpa, during a youth dialogue convened by the House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament to mark International Youth Day.
According to the report—produced in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria and policy experts—the closures have left over one million children out of school, exacerbating Nigeria’s education crisis.
Despite being home to one of the world’s largest youth populations, with more than 60 per cent of its citizens under 30, Nigeria continues to grapple with unemployment, insecurity, poverty, and weak infrastructure. The report warned that without urgent reforms, the country risks squandering its greatest demographic advantage.
It noted that about 1.7 million graduates leave tertiary institutions annually, yet jobs remain scarce. In addition, violence in farming communities has claimed more than 77,000 lives over the past five years, displacing 2.6 million people and threatening food security.
Speaking at the event, Abakpa said: “Nigeria should be a powerhouse of innovation and growth, but systemic challenges are holding back its young people. Unless immediate action is taken, opportunities will continue to be wasted.”
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, urged young Nigerians to seize opportunities provided by ongoing government programmes. Addressing over 24,000 youths at the Arise Congress 2.0 in Lagos, he cited initiatives such as the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), conditional cash transfers, and food security interventions as evidence of the administration’s commitment to youth empowerment.
Dare, who also chairs the Youth and Student Ministries Advisory Board of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, described youths as “champions” of the Tinubu administration, stressing that character, discipline, and determination remain vital to unlocking their potential.
The four-day congress, themed “The Emergence of Champions,” runs from September 3–6, 2025, and features religious and youth leaders, including the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Israel Adelani Akanji.
