A new report by Plan International Nigeria, an independent humanitarian non-profit, has revealed alarming statistics about the state of youth in Nigeria, stating that nearly 80 million young Nigerians are currently unemployed, while over 1,500 schools have been forced to shut down in the past two years due to growing insecurity.
The report, titled “State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025,” was unveiled during the Nigerian Youth Dialogue held in Abuja to mark International Youth Day and was presented by Jonathan Abakpa, Advocacy and Youth Programme Officer at Plan International Nigeria.
The event was organized by the House of Representatives Committee on Youth in Parliament.
The report paints a grim picture of wasted potential in a nation where over 60 percent of the population is under the age of 30.
“This is more than a statistic; it reflects shattered dreams and wasted talent,” Abakpa said.
“The desperation among young people is fueling irregular migration, cybercrime, and other dangerous coping strategies.”
According to the report, insecurity and systemic failures are crippling Nigeria’s development.
1.7 million graduates leave tertiary institutions annually with little or no job opportunities.
Over 1 million children are currently out of school due to school closures.
More than 600,000 people have been killed and 2.2 million kidnapped in recent years, a significant number of them young people.
77,000 lives have been lost to tribal conflicts in the last five years.
2.6 million people, mostly from farming communities, have been displaced due to violence.
With farmers unable to access their land, UNICEF estimates that 25 million Nigerians are at risk of hunger.
Over 82.9 million Nigerians (40.1% of the population) currently live below the poverty line.
“Education, which should be a ladder of opportunity, has been violently taken away from millions of children,” Abakpa stated.
The report warns that without deliberate and urgent intervention, Nigeria risks alienating an entire generation.
It calls for scaled-up job creation initiatives, vocational training and entrepreneurship programmes that are linked to real industry needs, stronger support for innovation and youth-led enterprises.
Despite the dire statistics, the report also emphasizes that Nigerian youth are not just victims, they are innovators, entrepreneurs, and agents of change and deserve targeted support to unleash their potential.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Ayodeji Alao-Akala, Chairman of the House Committee on Youth in Parliament, reaffirmed the commitment of the National Assembly to improving the lives of young Nigerians.
“As a country, we cannot afford to ignore the aspirations of our youth,” Alao-Akala said.
“They are the future of Nigeria, and our responsibility as lawmakers is to create an enabling environment for them to thrive.”
He noted that several bills and motions have already been passed in Parliament aimed at supporting youth development and national progress.
The “State of the Nigerian Youth Report 2025” serves as a stark reminder of the critical need for urgent, coordinated efforts by the government, private sector and development partners to reverse the decline and unlock Nigeria’s demographic dividend.
