Youth in Nigeria[1] includes citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria aged 18–29 years according to the new-youth policy (2019).[2] However, the African youths [3] charter recognises youths as people between the age of 15 and 35.[4]Variance in chronologies are used in defining youth and are addressed by members of the state in accordance to their particular society.[5]
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the former President of Nigeria from 1999 until 2007, believes that identifying and addressing issues that would enhance the lives of the youth would improve overall national development.[6] He stated that, "Youths constitute Nigeria's only hope for a greater future". The Nigerian government characterises youth as ambitious, enthusiastic, energetic and promising. They are considered vulnerable in society because of the rapid pace of change they experience at this time in their lives. Nigeria's Youth's right from time are notable to be change-agents and drivers of societal transformation. In contrast, in a developing country like Nigeria, youth interests and roles have been undermined, resulting to poverty, alienation, destabilization and conflict among the youths.
Policy
A National Youth Development Policy was created and designed to advocate for youths and their development. The policy views youth welfare as vital to the Nigerian nation and its socio-economic development.
The National Youth Policy (2009) aims to,
promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and protect the health, social, economic and political well-being of all young men and women in order to enhance their participation in the overall development process and improve their quality of life.
The parents are very concerned about the welfare of their wards at their youthful stage, especially In Nigeria, so that they would not make mistakes. The youthful stage of life is very sensitive in youth life, that is why parent needs to monitor their wards to be productive in that stage in preparation for the next stage of life. The parents are more concerned about the following issues because of their high rate in the country:
National Youth Policy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
The 2009 National Youth Policy recognizes 5 priority areas that need to be addressed to enhance youth lives.[13] These include the impact of globalisation, access and use of communication technology, the impact of STDs and HIV/AIDS, intergenerational issues in an ageing society, and youth perpetrators and victims of armed conflict. This is guided by several national and international policy initiatives, including National Policies for education, gender, health, population for sustainable development and the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS).[14] The Millennium Development Goals, the African Youth Charter, and other international agreements further guide the policy goals found in the document.
National Youth Policy prioritises the difficulties women have faced throughout history. Some women experience less occupational opportunity, physical violence, abuse and labour exploitation. The policy seeks to protect their rights and promote female youths' interests and goals. By empowering females, restoring their dignity, establishing programs to end gender-based discrimination and promoting the rights, Nigerian youth policy places emphasis on the needs of young women.
Women for health training to support girls and women to train as health workers in northern Nigeria by 2016, providing support to meet entry standards.
The National Youth Policy has adopted a program for youth that are disabled. The Federal Republic of Nigeria believes that persons with disabilities have rights that should be protected by the government. The program promotes awareness of struggles that the disabled face, removing negative attitudes, while empowering the young men and women with disabilities.
National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) was founded in 1964 to be the voice and the umbrella Organisation for youth organisations in the country. It is responsible with issues affecting Nigeria's youth because it is the voice of Nigeria's youth. The Youth Council is non‐governmental, non‐partisan, and not‐for‐profit organisation. The council comprises the National Executive Committee (NEC) of 23‐ members. The NEC members are democratically elected from their respective state chapters and its affiliated voluntary youth organisations.The National Youth Council of Nigeria is a major stakeholder in the implementation of the National Youth Policy, as an umbrella organisation for youth NGOs, and youth organisations across the country the NYCN pursues democratic norms at all times, embrace the principles of accountability and transparency in all its conduct, and initiate and execute activities that are in consonance with the goals of the National Youth Policy. Its current president is Amb. Sukubo Sara-igbe Sukubo.[15][16][17][18][19][20] It is charged with the responsibility of policy formulation and implementation on issues affecting Nigerian Youth. Its head office is located at 29 Aswan St, Wuse 904101, Abuja, Nigeria [21][22]
Aims and Objectives
Below are the main aims and objectives of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN):[23]
To deep-root the culture of nation building and leadership building in our youths.
To increase the participation of the young people in the society, as well as in the decision-making process.
Positively influence policy issues affecting youth, by being a recognized partner internationally.
Promote cross breed of ideas and experiences, mutual understanding as well as equal rights and opportunities among youths in Nigeria.
Mobilize, organize and groom young people to be patriotic citizens and help put them back on track with focus on what they can give back to the society.
To ensure youths are trained as future leaders.
Family formation
Some Nigerians live in extended large families with separate living quarters. A Nigerian child may be breastfed until the age of 2. Mothers believe there is a bond created between mother and child by breastfeeding. Educating children is regarded as a community responsibility in some ethnic groups[24]Parenting styles differ among cultures in Nigeria. Nigerian children adapt to one of three roles: authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive, depending on their culture.
Both boys and girls learn to be responsible and hard-working at age 5.[25] Boys contribute to routine tasks outside the home such as helping with the livestock, and helping in the fields. Girls contribute inside the home by cooking and cleaning in the home. Elders tend to value boys higher than girls for their physical abilities and their ancestry. First, fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays are marked by a large gathering for socialising providing food and drink consumption in certain parts as a traditional celebration.[25]
Nigerian urban youth develop romantic relationships that are kept a secret. Urban Nigerians are increasingly accepting meeting publicly; romantic relationships often lead to marriage. Cohabitation in urban areas is increasingly accepted prior to marriage while a romantic couple saves money to marry.
Marriage is a coming of age practice among some ethnic groups. The legal minimum age to marry is 18 in most regions. Coming of age practices vary among different cultures. The Tiv people perform a ritual by marking a girl's abdomen with four incisions to make sure they are capable of conceiving a child. The Okrika Tribe hold ceremonies to mark the stage when girls are ready for marriage; they will ask the lady to dance with half-naked, with their breast opened.[26][27] These girls are painted and judged by characteristics such as beauty, grace and chastity. The girls then run a race with young men chasing them. Muslim people arrange marriages for their daughters, placing the male's family finances as an influential factor when choosing her husband. Girls are expected to marry soon after finishing school.
Education
Catch them young
Educating youth in Nigeria is prioritized with the goal of reducing poverty, inequality and overall increasing economic growth.[28] Youth in Nigeria school system consists of six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary, and four or five years of tertiary education.[29] Primary school completion rates are 93% for males, and 91% for females.
It is a requirement for every child in Nigeria to receive a minimum of nine years of free education. The government's dominant role with funding provides funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Education Trust Fund (ETF). Some of the problems Nigerian youth face in education are unbiased access to junior secondary, and senior secondary education for the poor, and the need to adjust the school curriculum to focus on the transition from school to labour economics.
The National Youth Policy has implemented a variety of focuses in hopes to improve overall quality of education. These focal points include: development of critical fields of knowledge in applied science and technology, technical skills, vocational skills in agriculture, and promotion of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The policy developed leadership roles and life training skills which seek to keep youth focused on education, politics and overall youth agency. The youth are encouraged to partake in a variety of programs including: gang related violence prevention programs, Extra-curricular competitive and recreational game activities through organisations, and a student union was launched encouraging leadership roles for youth and democratic culture.
Labor and employment
Individuals in Nigeria can legally work when they are 18 years old. Data on youth employment in Nigeria are scarce due to under resourced agencies responsible for their collection. In 2012, 11.1million[30] youths in Nigeria were believed to be unemployed.[31] In a recent report by Bloomberg, it was revealed that as at March 2021, Nigeria Unemployment rate has increased to 33.3% making it the second highest on the global list of unemployed countries monitored by Bloomberg.[32][33] The report also revealed that Nigeria employment rate has increased drastically over the last five years because the country has been through two different recessions and this has cast a shadow of gloom on the economic policies implemented by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. Due to some main identified problems such as; rural-urban migration, rapid population growth, low standard of education, the rapid expansion of the educational system, lack of steady and sustainablepower supply and corruption.[citation needed] Nigeria youths constitute 64 percentage of unemployed Nigerians. There is high rate of unemployment which in turns caused insecurity, rising poverty rate and persistent underdevelopment.[34]
Health risks
Nigerian youth have experienced increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and HIV/AIDS.[35] Prevalence of female youths STD contraction is 17.2%.[36] HIV/AIDS prevalence among all youths is 5.2%, compared to the national prevalence at 4.4%.The Federal Government of Nigeria's National Youth Policy attempts to mitigate prevalence by providing care, treatment and, support for infected young people. In doing so, government promotes prevention activities through risk reduction, abstinence, and condom use.
STD and HIV/AIDS contraction can cause serious, permanent health issues, infertility, death and, social consequences such as social exclusion. Many social factors contribute to the rates of contraction.[36] Advancements in information communication technology expose youths to a variety of values and ways of thinking which differ from their elder generations. Cultural norms serve as barriers to protect themselves in many cultures. Condom use is not a common practice.[36]
Infection rates among youths vary according to gender, region, education, marital status, and other factors. Gender norms constrain youth women from controlling their reproductive and sexual lives. The highest rates of infection happened in the north-central part of the country (with Benue State having the highest prevalence rate), lowest in the Northeast.[37] Urban areas have higher rates than rural places of residency. Youths with little or no education compromised 1.3% of infected youths, in contrast to higher levels of education whose rates were 4.7%. Prevalence of contraction was higher among youths who had never been married at 2.6%, in contrast to those who were married, 1.8%. Premarital sex is common, even though it is considered taboo in many ethnic groups. It is common in urban areas for inter-ethnic dating to occur, though, inter-religious dating does occur it is hardly present in society.[25] Youth who had previous education and testing for HIV/AIDS had higher rates of STD contraction in contrast to those who had no awareness of HIV/AIDS.
Suffrage
Nigerian youth have the right to vote in political elections at 18 years of age.[38] Nigerian youth are campaigning for reduction in age qualification for political position with the Not Too Young To Run bill, which seeks to reduce the age to run for president from 40 years to 30 years; Governor 35 to 30, Senate 35 to 30, House of Representatives 30 to 25 and State of Assembly 30 to 25.[39][40] The Not Too Young To Run bill was signed into law in May 2018 by President Muhammadu Buhari.[41] The bill was signed in the presence of youth representatives from the 36 states of the federation. The bill is "aimed at relaxing some of the stringent and biased provisions of the constitution that prevent young people from participating actively in politics." During the signing of the bill, the president said "You can aspire for President but Please postpone your campaign till after 2019 election."[42] This statement by Mr President points to the fact that the Nigerian society is yet to fully accept youth leadership and participation at the corridors of power.
Youth in armed conflict
Since the Post Cold War era, oil based revenues and its disbursements in the Niger Delta region has led to massive protests and violence among youth. Young people have engaged in attacks against oil firms and Nigerian militants, hostage taking and hijacking oil workers, youth militancy, vandalising oil pipelines, and detonating bombs.[43][44] Tension in the public has caused conflict among minority and majority groups which has crippled national and social development.[45] The youth's participation in violence is their way of expressing feelings of marginalisation and that their voices are not heard in competing for beneficial resources.[45]
Get rich quick syndrome
Many Nigerian youth are believed to have the get rich quick syndrome by the older population, the youths are now characterized with this 'get quick rich syndrome'.[12] Many of them are now believed to be willing to die within eight years of enjoying flights of cars and billions of naira, this is a false idea . Nigerian youths are hardworking individuals who struggle to be resourceful despite the lack of jobs and unfair treatment in society, poverty is a main factor that creates the so-called 'get rich quick syndrome' in young adults in Nigeria.
↑ Ukkiwo, U (2007). "From Pirates to Milirtants: a Historical Perspective on Anti-state and Anti-oil company mobalisation among the Ijaw of Warri, Western Niger Delta". African Affairs. 106 (425): 587–610. doi:10.1093/afraf/adm057.
The global pandemic of HIV/AIDS began in 1981, and is an ongoing worldwide public health issue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), by 2023, HIV/AIDS had killed approximately 40.4 million people, and approximately 39 million people were infected with HIV globally. Of these, 29.8 million people (75%) are receiving antiretroviral treatment. There were about 630,000 deaths from HIV/AIDS in 2022. The 2015 Global Burden of Disease Study estimated that the global incidence of HIV infection peaked in 1997 at 3.3 million per year. Global incidence fell rapidly from 1997 to 2005, to about 2.6 million per year. Incidence of HIV has continued to fall, decreasing by 23% from 2010 to 2020, with progress dominated by decreases in Eastern Africa and Southern Africa. As of 2023, there are about 1.3 million new infections of HIV per year globally.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, varies in prevalence from nation to nation. Listed here are the prevalence rates among adults in various countries, based on data from various sources, largely the CIA World Factbook.
HIV/AIDS in India is an epidemic. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) estimated that 3.14 million people lived with HIV/AIDS in India in 2023. Despite being home to the world's third-largest population of persons with HIV/AIDS, the AIDS prevalence rate in India is lower than that of many other countries. In 2016, India's AIDS prevalence rate stood at approximately 0.30%—the 80th highest in the world. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is via a combination of antiretroviral drugs and education programs to help people avoid infection.
The Caribbean is the second-most affected region in the world in terms of HIV prevalence rates. Based on 2009 data, about 1.0 percent of the adult population is living with the disease, which is higher than any other region except Sub-Saharan Africa. Several factors influence this epidemic, including poverty, gender, sex tourism, and stigma. HIV incidence in the Caribbean declined 49% between 2001 and 2012. Different countries have employed a variety of responses to the disease, with a range of challenges and successes.
HIV/AIDS is one of the most serious health concerns in South Africa. South Africa has the highest number of people afflicted with HIV of any country, and the fourth-highest adult HIV prevalence rate, according to the 2019 United Nations statistics. About 8 million South Africans out of the 60 million population live with HIV.
Prostitution in Nigeria is illegal in all Northern States that uses the penal code and sharia law also known as Islamic law. In Southern Nigeria, the activities of pimps or madams, underage prostitution and the operation or ownership of brothels are penalized under sections 223, 224, and 225 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. Even though the Nigerian constitution/Nigerian law does not legalize commercial sex work, it is vague if such work is performed by an independent individual who operates on his or her own accord without the use of pimps
The number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in Benin in 2003 was estimated by the Joint United Nations Programme for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) to range between 38,000 and 120,000, with nearly equal numbers of males and females. A recent study conducted by the National AIDS Control Program estimated the number of people living with HIV/AIDS to be 71,950. In 2003, an estimated 6,140 adults and children died of AIDS. Benin has a well-functioning system of antenatal HIV surveillance; in 2002, the median HIV prevalence at 36 antenatal clinics was 1.9%. Another study in 2002 showed an overall prevalence of 2.3% among adults in Cotonou, Benin's largest city.
HIV/AIDS in Lesotho constitutes a very serious threat to Basotho and to Lesotho's economic development. Since its initial detection in 1986, HIV/AIDS has spread at alarming rates in Lesotho. In 2000, King Letsie III declared HIV/AIDS a natural disaster. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) in 2016, Lesotho's adult prevalence rate of 25% is the second highest in the world, following Eswatini.
HIV/AIDS in Nigeria was a concern in the 2000s, when an estimated seven million people had HIV/AIDS. In 2008, the HIV prevalence rate among adults aged between 15 and 49 was 3.9 percent, in 2018 the rate among adults aged between 15 and 65 was 1.5 percent. As elsewhere in Africa, women are statistically more likely to have HIV/AIDS. The Nigeria HIV/AIDS Indicator and Impact Survey was the world's largest and presented statistics which showed the overall numbers were lower than expected. Antiretroviral treatment is available, but people prefer to take the therapy secretly, since there is still noticeable discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS.
Rwanda faces a generalized epidemic, with an HIV prevalence rate of 3.1 percent among adults ages 15 to 49. The prevalence rate has remained relatively stable, with an overall decline since the late 1990s, partly due to improved HIV surveillance methodology. In general, HIV prevalence is higher in urban areas than in rural areas, and women are at higher risk of HIV infection than men. Young women ages 15 to 24 are twice as likely to be infected with HIV as young men in the same age group. Populations at higher risk of HIV infection include people in prostitution and men attending clinics for sexually transmitted infections.
With less than 0.1 percent of the population estimated to be HIV-positive, Bangladesh is a low HIV-prevalence country.
Honduras is the Central American country most adversely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is estimated that the prevalence of HIV among Honduran adults is 1.5%.
With an estimated 150,000 people living with HIV/AIDS in 2016, Haiti has the most overall cases of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and its HIV prevalence rates among the highest percentage-wise in the region. There are many risk-factor groups for HIV infection in Haiti, with the most common ones including lower socioeconomic status, lower educational levels, risky behavior, and lower levels of awareness regarding HIV and its transmission.
Sarafadeen Tunji Isola is the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, a position he has held since he was appointed by Muhammadu Buhari in January 2021.
loveLife is a youth focused HIV prevention initiative in South Africa.
Females in Nigeria have a basic human right to be educated, and this right has been recognized since the year 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) According to a report in 2014, female education has an important impact on the development of a stable, prosperous and healthy nation state resulting in active, productive and empowered citizens. Educating girls develop growth rates, encourages independence of the girl child and reduces social disparities. In 2009, the Nigerian Population Council (NPC) observed that women with higher educational qualifications are more likely to be in formal wage employment than those at the level of primary school education.
Youth in South Africa constituted 37% of the population in 2010, numbering 19.1 million individuals. South Africa's National Youth Commission Act, 1996, defines youth as those from ages 15-34 years. Like many other developing countries, South Africa's population as a whole is quite young. The elevated level of youth population is expected to exist for the next 20–30 years; the large proportion of working-age population presents South Africa with a time period of opportunity for human capital and economic development.
Youth in Africa constituted 19% of the global youth population in 2015, numbering 226 million. The United Nations defines youth as people aged 15 to 24 years. By 2030, it is predicted that the number of youths in Africa will have increased by 42%. Africa's population as a whole is very young, with 60% of the entire continent aged below 25, making it the youngest continent in the world, in relation to its population makeup. All of the world's top 10 youngest countries by median age are in Africa, with Niger in first place with a median age of 15.1 years. There is contention among critics and analysts over what this demographic dividend could mean for African nations; some believe that, with effective governance, the economy could significantly benefit and develop, whilst others have argued that a large, poorly-managed youth population may lead to greater instability and civil conflict.
The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) was established in 1964. It is charged with the responsibility of policy formulation and implementation on issues relating to youth development in Nigeria. It is the umbrella body and the mouthpiece of the Nigerian Youths. It was established and given legal recognition in 1990. The NYCN has three branches; the National, Zonal and the State chapters. The NYCN is also affiliated to the World Assembly of Youth, Pan-African Youth Union. It has the Ministry for Youth and Sports Development as its supervisory body. The NYCN body has been instrumental to many empowerment, scholarship and support programmes.
Bello Shagari is a youth activist and a documentary filmmaker. He is the representative of Non-Aligned Movement Youth Organization (NAMYO) in Nigeria. Prior to that, he led the National Youth Council of Nigeria and The Royal African Young Leadership Forum,.
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