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Nigeria stands at a critical juncture. Youth exclusion and unemployment has driven rising poverty, social unrest, insecurity and economic stagnation. Despite numerous ‘symbolic’ programs, the absence of a structural, legally backed fund has limited impact.

The National Youth Fund will address these gaps, drawing from successful models in countries like Singapore’s $100million National Youth Fund and adapting them to Nigeria’s realities.

It is often said that prevention is better than cure—and when it comes to national development, structural youth empowerment is the ultimate prevention.

For too long, Nigerian youth have been offered disjointed and symbolic empowerment programs that fail to address the root of the crisis. What is urgently needed is a deep-rooted, structural policy that empowers our young people to create, innovate, and transform society.

That is why the National Youth Coalition for Transformative Leadership Initiative (NYC-TLI) and Citizen Voices Empowerment Foundation (CVEF) amongst others are championing the National Youth Fund (NYF)—a bold initiative designed to lift over 100 million Nigerian youth out of poverty, desperation, and deprivation.

Why the National Youth Fund Matters

Targeting Nigeria’s vibrant and resilient youth population (ages 18–40+, over 120 million citizens – the “Youth State”), the Fund will provide:

• Access to business and life-support funding
• Civic and leadership development
• Harmonization of existing empowerment schemes
• International and corporate partnerships

Structured into four age-grade segments, the Fund will appropriate over ₦50 billion monthly through multiple national and international channels to deliver consistent empowerment over at least a decade for the Nigerian youth.

Why Now

The tragedy of Nigeria’s youth crisis is not only poverty—it is wasted time:

• Years lost waiting for government jobs that never come.
• Years spent earning degrees without meaningful opportunities.
• Years drained in frustration instead of contribution.

No government can fix Nigeria without structural youth empowerment. The National Youth Fund offers not just resources, but hope, patriotism, and mindset renewal for national transformation.

A Path to the $1 Trillion Economy by 2030

If fully implemented, the NYF will become the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economic growth—unlocking innovation, scaling ventures, and accelerating productivity. For the first time since NYSC, Nigeria will witness a truly comprehensive youth empowerment scheme—one that will go down in history as transformational.

Nigeria’s youth are not a problem to be managed; they are a powerhouse waiting to be unleashed. There can be no sustainable economic development without structural youth empowerment. What Nigeria requires now is not another program, slogan, or temporary palliative.

The National Youth Fund is a systemic blueprint that can unlock the energy, skills, and creativity of our youth on a scale large enough to lift over 100 million people out of poverty, desperation and deprivation in 24 to 36 months.  

Call to Action

We therefore urge the Federal Government, State Governments, and the National Assembly to act urgently by establishing the National Youth Fund—whether by an Act or Executive Order.

We also call on national and international development partners, as well as civil society organizations, to support the establishment of the National Youth Fund—an initiative dedicated to entrepreneurship, structural empowerment, and transformative leadership development.

The future cannot be built without financing the hands that will build it.

Learn more and download the full National Youth Fund policy framework:
www.nationalyouthcoalition.org.ng/policy-demands

Ijigban Daniel Oketa

Founding President of the National Youth Coalition for Transformative Leadership Initiative

Email: info@nationalyouthcoalition.org.ng

Tel +234 703738 4814

+234 805 127 58222

A Presidential Blueprint for Unlocking the Potential of Over 100 Million Youth

In the heart of Africa lies Nigeria, a nation often described as “the giant of the continent.” Not just because of its size, but because of its people, especially the resilience and power of its youth.

Today, Nigeria is home to over 100 million young men and women between the ages of 18 and 40. This youthful demographic is the largest in Africa, and one of the largest in the world.

Yet, beneath this staggering number lies a paradox: while Nigeria is bursting with youthful energy, creativity, and ambition, millions of these young people remain trapped in cycles of poverty, unemployment, and underdevelopment.

They are deprived not only of economic opportunities but of time; the most precious of all resources. For many, their most productive years have been wasted in waiting, searching, and struggling to survive rather than thriving and building.

This is the tragedy of a generation. But it can also be the triumph of a visionary leadership moment.

A Generation in Chains

Step into any Nigerian city or village, and you will find them everywhere: the young man with a degree who drives a motorcycle to feed his family, the young woman with skills in fashion design who lacks access to credit, the aspiring tech innovator whose dream is stalled by power outages and lack of structural empowerment and support.

From the bustling streets of Lagos to the farmlands of Benue, from the oil-rich Delta to the arid landscapes of Borno, young Nigerians live with a daily reminder of unrealized potential.

According to national statistics, youth unemployment and underemployment remain among the highest in the world. Millions are without jobs, millions more are underpaid, and countless others remain outside the formal economy altogether.

Poverty has become inherited, passed down from parents who struggled to children who now bear the same burden.

It is not just an economic problem; it is a national security challenge. Idle youth are often lured into crime, radicalization, or desperate migration across deserts and seas. Every lost opportunity is a lost builder, a lost innovator, a lost leader.

The Presidential Blueprint: A Magic Key

What Nigeria requires now is not another program, slogan, or temporary palliative. What is needed is a systemic blueprint that can unlock the energy, skills, and creativity of our youth on a scale large enough to lift over 100 million people out of deprivation in record time.

This is what we call The Magic Key to Youth Development in Nigeria.

The “magic” is not in fantasy; it is in focus and execution. The blueprint rests on three interconnected pillars:

1. Massive Youth Enterprise Development: Empowering youth to become job creators rather than perpetual job seekers by providing multi-year access to structural capital, skills training, across every state.
2. Strategic Public-Private Partnerships: – Mobilizing government seed funding, private sector investment, and development partner support to create a trillion-naira youth economy.
3. National Skills & Innovation Acceleration: – Scaling technical and digital skills, vocational training, and innovation labs to rapidly absorb millions into productive work.

These are not lofty ideas; they are practical levers for turning Nigeria’s demographic burden into demographic dividends.

Unlocking Time and Restoring Hope

The central tragedy of Nigeria’s youth crisis is not just poverty – it is wasted time. Years lost waiting for government jobs that never come, years spent on degrees without valuable input, years drained in frustration rather than contribution.

A decisive presidential blueprint, boldly executed, will not just create jobs; it will restore time.

By giving young people immediate pathways to work, enterprise, and innovation, Nigeria can compress decades of lost development into a short turnaround.

Imagine what it means for the nation when even half of the 100 million youth are actively productive:

• A surge in GDP growth, fueled by youth-led businesses and industries.
• A dramatic reduction in crime, unrest, and insecurity.
• A stronger tax base to fund public services and infrastructure.
• A powerful cultural and diplomatic export of Nigerian talent worldwide instead of the traditional ‘Japa’ syndrome.

It is a transformation that touches every sector, from agriculture to technology, entertainment to manufacturing.

Why This Moment Matters

History tells us that nations are built or broken in their demographic moments. Countries like South Korea and Singapore rose from poverty by investing massively in their young citizens. Others fell into cycles of conflict because they neglected theirs.

Nigeria is now standing at such a crossroads. We either act boldly to empower our over 100 million youth, or we risk condemning another generation to wasted years and inherited deprivation.

The presidency holds the master key. With the stroke of political will, Nigeria can pivot from a land of frustrated potential to a land of fulfilled destiny.

The Call to Leadership

The “magic key” is a call to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration to adopt youth development not as one of many agenda points, but as the singular national priority.

No reform, no vision, no economic plan will succeed unless it addresses the reality of Nigeria’s youthful majority.

By making this blueprint a presidential mission, the government will not only transform lives but also secure political stability, economic growth, and a legacy of leadership that will echo through generations.

Conclusion: From Deprivation to Destiny

Nigeria’s youth are not a problem to be managed; they are a powerhouse waiting to be unleashed. They are the farmers who will feed Africa, the coders who will power the digital economy, the creators who will shape culture, the leaders who will define tomorrow.

What they need is a key; the Magic Key to Youth Development in Nigeria.

The bold, coordinated presidential blueprint designed to be directly implemented through an Act of the National Assembly will lifts over 100 million youth out of poverty and deprivation even in a record time of between 12 months to 24 months.

The question is not whether Nigeria can afford to do this. The question is whether Nigeria can afford not to.

The answer, for the sake of our future, must be clear.

See Our Full Policy Demand and the Presidential Blueprint for Unlocking the Potential of Over 100 Million Youth

See Our Key Policy Demands

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