Factors Contributing to Youth Unemployment in Nigeria

There are multitudes of variables responsible for youth unemployment problem particularly in Nigeria and other developing countries. As a result, comprehensive data on the factors that contribute to youth unemployment are required. Factors contributing to youth unemployment according to research; among other variables, fast population growth, rural-to-urban migration; and a lack of employable skills and experience among the youth are primarily responsible.

Youth are an important productive asset in nation building, especially in a developing economy like Nigeria. However, if the youth are not meaningfully engaged; they pose a security, socioeconomic, and political threat to the nation; as we see in Nigeria today like Kidnapping, militancy, boko-haram, political thuggery, secession agitation, and other vices. The urgent need to holistically document the variables causing the youth unemployment problem is unavoidable in order for stakeholders to intervene.

However, there are many factors contributing to youth unemployment in Nigeria such as:

Lack of employable skills and experience

Employability skills are a set of abilities that employees should have in order to perform a specific job; and adapt to changes in the workplace. They are a set of skills required to perform a specific job, such as technical skills; self-perceived employability skills, social skills, and so on. Unemployment and career development can be constrained by a lack of employability skills. It is crucial to have these skills, so youths are encouraged to renew their skills in accordance with the demands of the workplace; otherwise, they will find it difficult to get involved in the desired work.

Lack of job hunt skills

Job hunting is the act of looking for employment, due to unemployment, underemployment, discontent with a current position; or a desire for a better position. In order to be successful in your job hunt; you need to be the type of employee that employers want to hire. Employers want people with the right skills to do the work; a personality that fits the company culture, and a good work ethic.

Rapid population expansion

Rapid population growth has serious economic ramifications. It stimulates imbalances in income distribution; as well as slows the rate of growth of the gross national product by lowering the level of savings and capital investments; it puts pressure on agricultural production and land; and it also causes unemployment problems.

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