The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the International Labour Organization have commenced a nation-wide campaign aimed at developing a roadmap for youth employment plans.
The campaign which is being managed by the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, a coalition of youth-led civil society organisations will help develop a roadmap towards designing effective policy and programs that will ensure that young Nigerians are adequately prepared to get and create jobs.
In a statement, Sunday Dare, Minister of Youth and Sports Development says the campaign is part of the implementation of the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) -a four-year detailed plan to address the youth employment challenge in Nigeria in a comprehensive and coordinated manner.
According to him, the NIYEAP has been developed to complement and operate in the context of existing policies, frameworks, and strategies such as the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan; the National Youth Policy, the National Employment Policy, the United Nations Development Partnership Framework, and the Call for Action.
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He noted that the ministry, however, commenced activities for the review of the NIYEAP in 2018, in collaboration with the United Nations which also launched the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth- a multi-stakeholder partnership to advance the implementation of youth employment-related targets of the 2030 agenda.
He added that the NIYEAP serves as a commitment of Nigeria under the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth.
With a focus on Employment Creation, Employability, Equality, and rights as well as Entrepreneurship), the priority themes of NIYEAP the 4Es, are further delineated into strategic lines of action listed under each theme, with emphasis on sectors that have high job creation potentials, such as digital economy, rural economy, green economy and renewable energy sector, manufacturing, tourism, construction, and service.
The action plan is a fundamental framework to address youth employment and it emphasizes finding solutions with and for young people who are seeking decent and productive jobs, the statement states.
The nationwide campaign commenced on 21st, July 2020, with a survey that can be accessed through virtual platforms.
Through the survey, the ministry, UNDESA, and ILO are gathering the views of the Nigerian youth on employment prospects and the needs of youth that will inform policy direction and ensure the right approaches are pursued to implement NIYEAP.
Currently, the survey has been filled by over one hundred and fifty thousand young Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.
Details of the survey can be found on the following websiteswww.youthandsport.gov.ng and www.decentwork.ng.
