Empirical review of youth employment programmes in Nigeria

Youth unemployment is a major socioeconomic problem in Nigeria, and several youth-employment programs (YEPs) have been implemented to address the challenge. This chapter analyses youth employment outcomes in Nigeria, reviews recent YEPs, identifies the challenges facing the implementation of YEPs and describes how political economy factors and institutional coordination shape the implementation and ultimately effectiveness of YEPs using mixed research methods, secondary data from official statistical database and primary data collected through focus-group discussions (FGDs) and key-informant interviews (KIIs). Findings are that, although there are several YEPs in Nigeria, they have not yielded a marked reduction in youth-unemployment rates or improved labor market outcomes for young people. The programs are challenged by factors such as a lack of framework for proper governance and coordination, inadequate funding, lack of institutional implementation capacity, inadequate oversight of implementation, weak monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanism, limited political inclusivity, lack of prioritization of vulnerable and marginalized groups, and a focus on stand-alone programs that are not tied to long-term development plans. These issues need to be addressed to ensure that youth-employment programs yield better outcomes and that youth unemployment is significantly reduced.