Researchers and scholars have called on the government, donor agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to provide training and funds to support Nigerian youths to access dignified and fulfilling work.

The scholars include the Principal Investigator, Nigeria Research Team of the Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR), Dr Babatunde Ojebuyi; the Director of Research Systems, Strengthening and Knowledge Mobilisation of Mastercard Foundation, Prof. Ayobami Ojebode and Joel Otieno of PASGR.

They made the call during a dissemination and engagement workshop to present the Nigeria Country Report of the Africa Youth Aspirations and Resilience (AYAR) Research and Uptake Project: Utafiti Sera, sponsored by the PASGR, in partnership with Mastercard Foundation, at Ibadan.

They called for regular dialogues to remedy the situation and make employment policies and interventions more relevant to dignified and fulfilling work for the youths.

While giving the project overview, the Principal Investigator of Nigeria Research Team, Dr Babatunde Ojebuyi, explained that the project was to investigate the aspirations and resilience strategies of African youths, the challenges faced, how they cope and what they aspire to achieve in life.

He noted that the focus was on Nigeria because the country possesses some unique characteristics that could not be neglected.

He said: “In terms of population, out of the 206 million people in Nigeria, the youth constitutes over 70 per cent. So, if you have a country where the youth are the majority and you want to do a programme that wants to address the challenges of the youths, you cannot neglect such a country. Apart from that, Nigeria is facing a lot of challenges that are affecting youth aspirations, so we cannot neglect Nigeria in this type of project.”

Ojebuyi said the research revealed that Nigerian youths, like other African youths, are resilient, have aspirations, want to have dignified jobs and live dignified and fulfilling lives, but are faced with challenges such as insecurity, inconsistent government policies, COVID-19, and being neglected in policy formulation, regardless of which they remain undaunted and progressive.

He recommended that the government should create policies that will empower the youth.

According to him, donors should also intervene by providing funds, and training that will target the specific needs of these youths, especially in the aspect of technology (IT), “because we discovered that during the time of COVID-19, they were able to circumvent the challenges by going to the digital space where they were able to survive. They should also include the youths in the policies that they are making.”

In his address, the Director of Research Systems, Strengthening and Knowledge Mobilisation, Mastercard Foundation, Prof. Ayobami Ojebode, explained that the Mastercard Foundation has offices in seven African countries, Nigeria inclusive, and is working in the Nigerian states of Kano, Kaduna and Lagos, where about 20 per cent of Nigerian youths live, saying the foundation believes it is more productive, sustainable and respectful to do things with people than to do things for them.

Ojebode said that having dignified and fulfilling work is a subjective reality, adding that what is dignified and fulfilling work to one person may not be to others; what was dignified and fulfilling work 30 years ago may not be today. As a result, it is important to let the young people define for us what they consider dignified and fulfilling. That is the focus of this study,” he submitted.

Giving his opening remarks, the Programme Coordinator, of AYAR Project, PASGR, Joel Otieno, revealed that the global unemployment rate among youths is 14 per cent, while that of Africa is 13 per cent, meaning the rate of unemployment in Africa is more, not because young people do not have jobs but because they do not have jobs that are fulfilling, even though they are resilient and resourceful.

Otieno noted that dignified and fulfilling work answers the question of moving youths from the place of surviving in employment they have to a place of thriving in the employment they need.

He urged stakeholders to come together to make available resources that can empower young people to acquire or access dignified and fulfilling work.

He said: “Governments have the responsibility of ensuring their citizens have enough jobs and enough opportunities. But the responsibility of creating jobs is not only the reserve of government but also the function of different organisations and the private sector in general. So, coming together to drive opportunities that will provide young people with dignified and fulfilling work is important.”