As one of the newest partners of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, NGYouthSDGs represented by its Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager, Oluwabukunmi Obadeiyi attended a task force and partnership meeting in Lagos State, Nigeria.
The Task Force meeting and partner update were held to address critical topics surrounding global youth employment trends, with a focus on the impact of youth unemployment, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where disparities exist between genders. The meeting highlighted significant findings from Jobberman regarding the Nigerian informal sector, which has dominated employment for decades, revealing key challenges such as low earnings in creative sectors and the outmigration of digital talent.
UNICEF introduced the Green Rising Initiative, aiming to engage youths in climate action through various environmental activities, alongside proposals for enhanced partnerships among organisations. Participants discussed potential collaborations, shared success stories, and prepared for the upcoming steering committee meeting, also emphasising the importance of youth-led programs, internships, and apprenticeships in driving sustainable development.
Some of the key findings presented by the International Labour Organization at the task force meeting are as follows;
From the latest estimate found in 2023, the global Youth unemployment rate is at 13%, the lowest in 15 years.
Digging deeper and looking behind the numbers, it was observed that recovery is not universal across regions. Looking at the trend between 2019-2023, the strong decline in youth unemployment was seen notably in Central and Western Asia and South Asia.
In sub-Saharan Africa, a notable spike was noticed during the COVID years and a relatively steep decline since then. This brings youth unemployment around 10% for women, and 8% for men.
The labour market has been dominated by the informal economy and youth unemployment rates are usually not the most telling sign. With a focus on the NEET rate (youth not in employment, education, or training), these are the ones being left behind, the global rate was observed to be 20% and the rate for Africa is around 23%. This is more relevant for Africa.
Gender disparity in NEET rates: 27% for young women, 17% for young men in Sub-Saharan Africa. The NEET rate happens to be one of the targets for SDG goal 8 (Decent work and Economic growth). The target is to improve the NEET rate compared to 2015 and Africa is at risk of missing this target on youth employment.
Also, looking at Africa, there is a youth bulge. That is both an opportunity and a challenge. By 2050, the youth labour force in Africa alone is expected to grow by 76 million young people. This has tremendous potential to harness, but only if, as these young people come of age, there will be job opportunities for them.
Looking at the sectoral share of youth employment, there has been less employment in the agricultural sector, which happens to be the most important employer, accounting for 60% of all employment. Although not true for all countries, there has been a move away from agriculture without industrialisation. These moves are to sectors that may not be able to sustain employment growth rates or provide better job quality.
Action items were assigned to partners, including data collection for impact indicators and updates on specific initiatives.
As a newly onboarded partner of Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), we are excited to collaborate with UNICEF to drive meaningful youth engagement and empowerment through climate action, workplace readiness, and sustainable development initiatives. We look forward to working together to create a positive impact on the lives of young Nigerians and contributing to a more sustainable future.
