The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, in partnership with the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (ILOILOILO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO), have begun the implementation of a plan for job creation.
It began with a campaign managed by the Nigeria Youth SDGs Network, a coalition of youth-led civil society organisations, as part of the implementation of the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP), a four-year detailed framework to address youth unemployment.
The nationwide campaign began on July 21 with a survey that has been completed by over 150,000 young Nigerians from the six geo-political zones, details of which can be found on www.youthandsport.gov.ng and www.decentwork.ng.
Through the survey, which can be completed via bit.ly/decentworkNG, the Ministry, the UNDESA, and the ILO are gathering the views of youths on employment prospects and needs that will inform policy direction and ensure the right approaches are pursued to implement the NIYEAP.
The Ministry began activities for the review of the NIYEAP four-year-plan in 2018 in collaboration with the United Nations.
NIYEAP serves as the Federal Government’s commitment under the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, launched by the UN in 2016.
The Action Plan is a fundamental framework to address youth employment and emphasises finding solutions with and for young people who are seeking decent and productive jobs.
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.
With a focus on job creation, employability, equality and rights as well as entrepreneurship, the priority themes of NIYEAP are delineated into strategic lines of action listed under each theme, with emphasis on sectors that have high job creation potential, such as digital economy, rural economy, green economy and renewable energy sector, manufacturing, tourism, construction and service.
