Call for Concern
Youth development is a key driver for poverty eradication and the pre-requisite for the growth of every nation. Among the greatest challenges facing many countries today are inadequate human capital investment, violence/gender inequality, little or no access to quality education/ health care service and high unemployment rates among young people, women and children. Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods according to the African most famous Leader Nelson Mandela who describes poverty and inequality as terrible curses of our time: “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right: the right to dignity and a decent life. While poverty exists, there is no true freedom.” Its manifestations include hunger and malnutrition, limited access to education and other basic services, social discrimination and exclusion as well as the lack of participation in decision-making.
Nigeria is known all over the world for her potentials and natural resource amongst which include her population, economy status, to mention but a few. Over the years, its pollution has been on the increasing side at 206,139,589 with its youth occupying 42.5% of its population which would increase according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population to 400 million come 2050. Despite being the largest oil producer in Africa, Nigeria has struggled to translate its resource wealth into rising living standards among young people. The National Bureau of Statistics shows that the unemployment rate increased from 17.6 million in 2017 to 23.9 million in 2018 with youths remaining the hardest hit with over 13.9 million people aged 15-34.
The advent of COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the recent youth protest and the international collapse in oil price has putting its economy on the fluctuating pace since the advent of the 2016 recession, leading to an increase in poverty rate at 4million in 2018 to 9.5 million in 2020 which might increase by more than 30 million in 2030 (National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office- January 2020). This is occasioned by insecurity, inadequate human capital investment and high unemployment rates especially ushered the country into a new economy and social reality. Before COVID-19, the economy was gradually recovering from the 2016 recession but now, the number of Nigerians living in poverty which was expected to increase by about 2 million, largely due to the population growth, would now increase by 7 million with a poverty rate projected to rise from 40.1% in 2019 to 42.5% in 2020. Daily, the situation has gotten worse and according to the Economic Sustainability Committee (ESC) report, the current economic crisis risks pushing an additional 39.4 million Nigerians into unemployment by December 2020 as the government was anticipating 39.4 million job losses which would likely be higher given the impact the pandemic has had on trade globally. All of this means more Nigerians, especially in the lower middle class, could potentially be forced to live below the poverty line.
The pandemic is admittedly making young people and women the main victims of labour market shocks. The statistics do not only include youth, but as 15-34 year-olds account for close to half of the nation’s working-age population and a vast majority of small business, young people will feel the greatest brunt of this economic shock. We can expect an exponential increase in the nation’s already staggering youth unemployment data. The resulting societal disruption has led to a number of challenges, ranging from stalled education to job losses and with these, young people they begin to seek new ways to survive, not minding whether it be legal or not which will adversely increase the conflict rate leading to an increase in the poverty rate of the Nation.
As Nigeria tires to adapt to these measure and its effect on her economy and citizens which is uncertain, there’s need to formulate and implement measures by which the situation can be manage and subsequent economic recovery attained and one of the possible and realistic measure is Human Capital Investment through her youths, women and children. Young People constitutes 42.5% of the country’s population and are the key drivers for any country’s growth. Therefore it is expected that their development be of key interest/ priority to the nation and as such no nation aspiring for major national growth and sustenance can afford to ignore the youths as they people possess unique viewpoints to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and can as well help find creative solutions to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in their communities.
Engaging young people early, systematically and effectively can have a multiplier effect in making a better future for themselves and their communities as they are the frontiers and catalysts of positive social changes. In order to seek the long term development and growth of a nation, youths in the countries should be well trained and educated as the leadership skills that the youth today possess will automatically direct the gradation of a country.