Background
Labour markets are undergoing structural changes globally including the onward march of technology and automation, the impacts of climate change, demographic changes, the evolving nature of employment relations and growing inequality. Tomorrow’s future leaders and workers, young people, will be at the front lines of these changes, yet their current prospects are marked by lack of jobs, and particularly lack of quality jobs. Today, over 63 million young people are unemployed across the globe, and 141 million youth are working, yet living in poverty. Sub-Saharan Africa continues to report the highest youth working poverty rates globally, close to 69 per cent in 2017. These figures embody a massive waste of potential and a threat to social cohesion. Harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth continues to be at the forefront of government and donor agendas. While this has galvanized political commitment and resources across the region, the protracted youth employment challenge suggests that progress has been fragmented and slow.
Description/achievement of initiative
The Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan was developed by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development (FMYSD), as a strategy to respond effectively to the youth employment challenge in Nigeria. The major objectives of the plan are to address fragmentation and harness technical and financial resources for meaningful impact. The plan targets young people between the ages of 15-29 years and details needed actions in support of employment creation for youth in critical economic and social sectors and outlines the financing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation frameworks. The FMYSD is the lead entity and is responsible for budgetary provisions and for funds mobilization.
Implementation methodologies
The Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) has an implementation phase from 2019-2023 and emphasizes the 4Es: Employability, Entrepreneurship Development, Employment Creation and Equal Opportunity. It also aligns with the thematic areas of the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth. The goal of the plan is to deliver a comprehensive approach to youth employment interventions through multi-sector collaboration. In line with existing policies and planning documents, the NIYEAP will promote a coordinated and joint-up response to the youth employment challenge including through the identification of priority areas for action and a framework to track and monitor progress.
Therefore, the committee will contribute to the Decent Jobs for Youth by providing a framework to address fragmentation on youth employment interventions in Nigeria and support efforts on job creation along with the thematic areas of the decent jobs for youth. The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development will drive the Coordination framework for implementation of NIYEAP with technical support from the ILO and other stakeholders. As part of the implementation structures for the coordination framework, the Ministry has a Committee in place of which membership comprises multi-sector representatives and the ILO as a Technical Advisory partner. NIYEAP foresees an implementation phase from 2019-2023. NIYEAP will be funded by Government budgetary resources and funds mobilized from stakeholders.
SDGs Targetted
- Zero Hunger
- Quality Education
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Partnership for the Goals
