Time To Invest In Nigeria’s Greatest Asset

As the world marks International Youth Day on August 12, Nigeria finds itself at a pivotal crossroads. With over 60 per cent of its population under the age of 25, the nation stands not only as Africa’s most populous country but also one of its youngest. This demographic reality is both a tremendous opportunity and a looming challenge. The choices made today will determine whether Nigeria reaps the dividends of this youth bulge or is overwhelmed by its consequences.
The theme for this year’s International Youth Day, “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World,” is particularly relevant for Nigeria. Our country is facing multiple, intersecting crises, from high youth unemployment and underemployment to insecurity, poor education outcomes, and a glaring lack of vocational and digital skills. Despite their energy and ambition, many Nigerian youths are trapped in cycles of poverty, exclusion, and frustration.
It is no surprise then that thousands of young Nigerians are fleeing the country in search of better opportunities abroad, fueling the so-called “japa” wave. They are not running from hard work; they are running from hopelessness.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. With the right policies and the political will to implement them, Nigerian youth can be the engine of national development. They are already leading the charge in technology, creative industries, agriculture, and activism. The rise of tech startups in Lagos, the growth of agribusiness among young people in the North, and the global impact of Nigerian music, art, and fashion are all testimonies to what young people can achieve when given the tools and the trust.
What Nigeria urgently needs is intentional investment in its youth. This includes, revamping the education system to focus on digital literacy, critical thinking, and practical skills; expanding access to finance for youth-led enterprises and startups; strengthening civic engagement by including young voices in decision-making at all levels of government; creating green and tech-oriented jobs that align with the future of work and sustainability goals, as well as establishing youth-friendly healthcare and mental health services that recognise the unique needs of this generation.
But investment must go beyond rhetoric and tokenism. Celebrating International Youth Day should not be an annual performance of speeches and slogans. It should be a call to sustained action. Youth policy must be central, not peripheral, to Nigeria’s development agenda.
The future of this country will not be written by oil or politics alone; it will be written by its youth. If Nigeria fails its young people, it fails itself.
On this International Youth Day, let us go beyond celebration and make a commitment to listen to, invest in, and empower Nigerian youth, not just for their sake, but for the survival and success of the nation itself.