Lagos state youth policy: Averting a demographic bomb

The Sub-Sahara Africa is currently experiencing what is called a demographic bulge. This implies that there is a significant number of young people, specifically, a higher percentage of youths within the working age group compared to the younger youths who are of school age and the older ones whose livelihood or survival depends on the working group. It means that in the next decade or two, Sub Sahara Africa is going to have the highest number of young people in the world.

By implication, Nigeria with about 180 million citizens has a very significant position in the population of the entire Sub Sahara Africa and by extension, Lagos State, with over 20 million residents is bigger than most of the countries in Sub Sahara Africa.

The unique position of Lagos State, a microcosm of the macrocosm of Nigeria cannot be undermined; the same way the significance of the youth population of the country and the entire Sub Sahara Africa remains a factor in decision making and governance in the entire continent.

With the foregoing, in some years to come, there is going to be a significant number of young people in Lagos State more than the dependent ones, a development that might pose a great challenge to the State if concerted efforts and proactive measures are not taken to develop the youths to be able to cope with the pending development.

Lagos State always boasts of its huge population. In as much as this portends viability to the State Government in terms of commerce, Industry and growth, it also comes with its inundating challenges the prime of which is how to control this ever increasing population as well as avert crime, misdemeanour and civil unrest especially among the youth populace who by nature are typically restive and prone to social vices and disorderliness.

A country or State is said to be experiencing a youth bulge when the young adults enter the working age and the country’s dependency ratio– that is, the ratio of the non-working age population to the working age population declines. If the number of working age individuals can be fully employed in productive activities, other things being equal, the percentage of average income per capita, social orderliness, tranquillity among other things will also increase and would be successively enterprising.

With the above scenario, a country or state is said to be experiencing a demographic dividend which of course takes a deliberate and conscious planning to achieve. On the contrary, if a larger number of young people cannot find employment and earn satisfactory income, the youth bulge will become a demographic bomb, a bomb in the sense that a mammoth of frustrated youth would emerge and become a potential source of social and political instability. This is why one of the very important yardsticks for measuring or assessing a state or country is
in terms of her ability of turning the youth bulge into a demographic dividend.

Having examined and studied the peculiarity of Lagos State, its youth population, their shared values, diverse needs, potentials among others, the State Government came up with a policy, a joint effort of the State Ministry of Youth and Social Development alongside the State’s Youth Council, the Civil Society, United Nations Population Fund, UNPF and other relevant stakeholders, that would guide the State Government on things that pertain to the youth and government investment in areas that would specifically address the peculiarity
and diverse needs of youths in the State.

The Lagos State Youth Policy which was unveiled last November is a well-designed framework that clearly articulates and provides a roadmap for addressing the needs of Lagos State youths. Specifically, the engagement and empowerment of the youth bulge financially and in other areas necessary should not in any way be compromised because of the pressure of supporting their older ones and also their younger ones; this explains why the level of restiveness, anxiety and over ambition is rampant within this age group.

According to the state government, the evolving socio-economic issues, new and innovative opportunities and the peculiarities of the State made the review of the already existing National Youth Policy of 2009 inevitable to meet the yearnings youths resident in the State. The document identified the core areas of needs of the youth in the State to include Eradication of Poverty, Improved Education and Health Care Delivery, Agriculture, Politics and Decision Making, Conflict Prevention and Peace Building, Sports and Recreation, Family Life among others.

In view of this, the State Government is harnessing different windows to engage the youth, take them off the street through series of empowerment initiatives as evident in the inauguration of a 25billion naira Empowerment Trust Fund majorly to these category of people all in a quest to make the youths dependent and in turn become employers in their own right. The disbursement of the fund, according to the State Government, would commence this December.

The youth policy is not just the usual paper work with political undertone, but it is a bonding commitment by a concerned government that is aware of critical area of needs of its masses. The effective implementation of the youth policy depends on an active institutional framework, robust political backing, and active administrative and technical support of all concerned stakeholders.

One would have presumed that as part of the policy, a budgetary allocation in terms of percentage is proposed as a matter policy for youth engagement and other related matters. While one wants to believe that the policy is subject to review periodically to accommodate some other youth related matters, the implementation of critical areas already stated in the policy should be followed to the letter by all concerned stakeholders.

For any proactive government, a demographic shift brings excitement and a glimpse of a bright future, but for a pessimist, the increasing numbers of the youth population is daunting, hollowing and full of uncertainties. The kind of future that awaits unborn generation depends on the policies that governments at all levels embark on in relations to quality education, affordable health care, clean water, employability among others.

 

Ayo Afuwape