Nigeria\u2019s youth population: Opportunity or looming crisis?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
By Folasade Akpan, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s estimated population of more than 238 million makes it Africa\u2019s most populous country and the sixth most populous in the world.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yet, experts say the country\u2019s greatest demographic challenge lies not in the size of its population, but in how it harnesses its youthful population.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
About 70 per cent of Nigerians are below the age of 30, presenting enormous opportunities for economic growth, innovation and national development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, without adequate investment in education, healthcare, skills and employment, the same youthful population could fuel unemployment, insecurity and social pressure.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This dilemma formed the centre of discussions at the 2026 World Population Day commemoration, with the theme, \u201cRealising the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People \u2014 Today and for the Future\u201d.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For 15-year-old Ms Ivana Ituado, however, the debate is not about a distant future.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to her, young Nigerians are already contributing to their families, schools and communities and should therefore be treated as partners in national development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cI often hear adults talk about the future as if it is somewhere far away that will arrive one day, but let me respectfully remind everyone, for me and millions of Nigerians, the future has already started,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ituado said young Nigerians already had the ideas, energy and talent required to contribute to the country\u2019s development, but many lacked the opportunities and support to translate their potential into results.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cMy generation is full of ideas, energy, courage and talent, but we are not being given the fair chance,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She identified poor access to quality education, youth-friendly healthcare, mental health support, digital opportunities and relevant skills among the challenges confronting young people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For adolescent girls, she added, inadequate access to menstrual products, clean water, private toilets and supportive school facilities continued to affect their education.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThose challenges are not impossible to solve. They continue because the right choices and investments have not always been made,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Against this backdrop, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr Aminu Yusuf, said Nigeria\u2019s youthful population could become one of its greatest national assets if deliberately harnessed.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cApproximately 70 per cent of our population is under the age of 30. Seven out of every 10 Nigerians on our streets, in our schools and in our markets is a young person,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yusuf, however, stressed that a demographic dividend could not be created by population numbers alone, but by investing in a healthy, educated, skilled and economically productive population.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we must be clear: a youthful population does not automatically translate into a demographic dividend.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe question before Nigeria is not whether we have a youthful population. We do. The question is: Are we investing sufficiently in our young people to transform this demographic reality into sustainable national prosperity?\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to him, Nigeria\u2019s Roadmap on Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Young People recognises the need for quality education, relevant skills and healthcare.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It also emphasises sexual and reproductive health services, decent employment, digital inclusion, entrepreneurship, peace, security and social inclusion.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The urgency of such investments is further underscored by the country\u2019s demographic and health indicators.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey puts the adolescent birth rate at 77 births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, while about 15 per cent of girls in that age group have already begun childbearing.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Similarly, modern contraceptive prevalence among young women remains at 3.3 per cent, while 15.8 per cent of sexually active adolescents have an unmet need for family planning.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To Yusuf, however, the figures represent more than statistics.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThey represent young lives, educational opportunities that may be interrupted and choices that may be constrained,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Consequently, he urged stakeholders to move beyond programmes designed for young people to approaches that involve them directly in policy and decision-making.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe must therefore move from doing things for young people to doing things with young people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir voices must inform policy. Their experiences must inform programme design. Their ideas must inform innovation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Yusuf said the country\u2019s demographic opportunity must therefore be matched with policies and investments that give every young person a fair chance to develop and contribute.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Similarly, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Mr Anthony Chukwuka, said Nigeria\u2019s youthful population was one of its greatest strategic assets.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said deliberate investments could enable young Nigerians to drive economic transformation, technological innovation, social cohesion and sustainable development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cToday\u2019s young people are not merely the leaders of tomorrow. They are partners in nation-building today,\u201d Chukwuka said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He listed government interventions in digital literacy, entrepreneurship, agribusiness, climate resilience, peacebuilding and youth health, alongside the development of a National Youth Data Bank to improve youth profiling, programme targeting and policy formulation.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He, however, acknowledged that youth development required collaboration among government institutions, development partners, the private sector, civil society and youth-led organisations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Beyond these interventions, education remains central to efforts to harness Nigeria\u2019s demographic potential.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, said education was the most powerful instrument for enabling young people to realise their aspirations.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cEducation provides knowledge, builds confidence, expands opportunities, promotes responsible decision-making, and equips young people with the skills required to participate meaningfully in society and the economy,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ahmad said ongoing reforms in the education sector included improving foundational learning, reducing the number of out-of-school children and strengthening teacher quality.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She said the reforms also focused on expanding Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, promoting technical and vocational training, advancing digital literacy and supporting girls\u2019 education.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, she said young people\u2019s aspirations extended beyond education to include dignity, decent employment, good health and meaningful participation in national development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir voices, ideas and innovation are indispensable to achieving sustainable development and national prosperity,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
From a broader perspective, the United Nations also stressed the need to address inequalities preventing young Nigerians from realising their potential.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In a message for Nigeria, UN Secretary-General Ant\u00f3nio Guterres noted that about 73 million Nigerians, representing 31.8 per cent of the population, were aged between 10 and 24.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
He said their aspirations, energy and leadership capacity were among Nigeria\u2019s most powerful resources, but insecurity, inequality, climate change and economic disruption were creating additional pressures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The UN also highlighted persistent disparities in education, child marriage and reproductive health, noting that one in three Nigerian women aged 20 to 24 was married before the age of 18.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It further reported that adolescent birth rates among girls with no education were significantly higher than among those with higher education.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gap between aspiration and reality is not inevitable; it is a product of inequality, and inequality can be changed,\u201d the UN said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Similarly, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Ms Diene Keita, said young people needed security and opportunities to make decisions about their lives and futures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She said the organisation\u2019s Demographic Futures Survey showed that most young people still aspired to marriage and parenthood, contrary to assumptions that younger generations had abandoned those goals.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, economic uncertainty, unemployment, rising living costs, insecurity and unequal access to education and healthcare were making those aspirations more difficult to achieve.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For Nigeria, therefore, another critical component of planning for its youthful population is reliable demographic data.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ituado noted that the country\u2019s last population and housing census was conducted in 2006, before millions of today\u2019s young Nigerians were born.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u201cAccurate and inclusive census data are not merely numbers on a page. They help determine our future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Reliable population data will, therefore, remain critical to planning and ensuring that schools, hospitals, jobs and social services reach those who need them most.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
For analysts and stakeholders, Nigeria\u2019s youthful population represents both an opportunity and a responsibility.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With the right investments in education, health, skills and employment, they say young Nigerians can drive productivity, innovation and sustainable national development.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
However, failure to match their aspirations with opportunities could deepen unemployment, inequality and other social pressures.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The challenge, therefore, is not merely to prepare young Nigerians for the future, but to create the conditions that enable them to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria\u2019s development today. (NANFeatures)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nigeria\u2019s estimated population of more than 238 million makes it Africa\u2019s most populous country and the sixth most populous in the world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":565,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[79],"tags":[409,370],"class_list":["post-564","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","tag-population","tag-youth"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/youth.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=564"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":567,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/564\/revisions\/567"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/565"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=564"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=564"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primerisenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=564"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}