Entrepreneurship seen as key to ending Nigeria’s graduate job hunt

BY TEMITOPE ADEBAYO

As Nigeria grapples with a growing youth population and a shrinking formal job market, experts and youth advocates alike are calling for an urgent shift in focus—from creating elusive white-collar jobs to building a robust ecosystem for entrepreneurship.

Each year, thousands of Nigerian students graduate from higher institutions only to join the growing army of unemployed youth. With the national unemployment rate uncomfortably high and youth unemployment even worse, the traditional path of education followed by employment is proving to be inadequate.

But entrepreneurship, many believe, could be the turning point.

Dr. Tunde Aina, an economist and lecturer at the University of Lagos, believes Nigeria’s youth bulge is an opportunity if the government takes bold action.

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“The Federal Government needs to stop viewing youth unemployment as a crisis to be managed with temporary jobs or palliatives. Instead, we must begin to see young people as potential job creators. The government must aggressively invest in entrepreneurship education, startup funding, and access to markets,” he said.

Calls for reform are not limited to economists and scholars. At the recently concluded National Youth Summit, held in Abuja and organised by the My Care Life Foundation, Nigerian youths urged the Ministry of Education to include entrepreneurial and innovation skills in the national curriculum. Themed “Voice for Peace: Empowering Youth Towards a Better Nigeria,” the summit brought together youth leaders and government stakeholders to address urgent policy needs.

Mr. Thomas Sylvanus, Convener of the summit, stressed the need for early exposure to entrepreneurship. “Many youths go to school and graduate with vast knowledge, yet have no platforms to apply their skills. If we can start teaching entrepreneurship and innovation early, young Nigerians will grow up with the mindset to create opportunities, not wait for government white-collar jobs,” he said.

He added that young people, though talented and creative, often lack access to platforms and capital to kickstart their ventures. “Before a young entrepreneur can even raise a million naira to start a small business, it’s a major struggle. Government must introduce grant programmes to support youth-led startups and contribute to national economic sustainability,” he noted.

Ngozi Udofia, founder of Sparkle Innovations Hub in Lagos, agrees. “Youth entrepreneurship is not a luxury; it’s a necessity,” she told Daily Times. “We need a national youth entrepreneurship framework backed by policy, funding, and execution. NYSC, for instance, can host entrepreneurship competitions where the best ideas are funded.”

Echoing this sentiment, Oyema Blessing Ngozi, Director of Youth Research, Engagement, and Inclusion at the National Orientation Agency (NOA), encouraged Nigerian youths to leverage digital tools and focus on self-development rather than depending solely on foreign opportunities. “I urge Nigerian youths to equip themselves educationally and develop innovative ideas that will help build a better future for themselves and the nation,” she said.

Despite the introduction of programs like YouWin!, N-Power, and SMEDAN’s youth enterprise efforts, critics argue that these initiatives often fall short due to poor implementation, inadequate funding, or political inconsistency.

Abdul-Rasaq Ibrahim, a career coach and business analyst, believes the problem is deeply rooted in the structure of Nigeria’s educational system. “Entrepreneurship is still seen as a fallback option instead of a deliberate career path. We must normalise it. Let’s teach business planning in secondary schools. Let students intern with local startups and think like innovators, not just employees,” he argued.

For 24-year-old Chiamaka Obi, who runs a mobile food delivery business in Abuja, entrepreneurship became her only viable option after a long job search. “I sent out over 200 CVs after NYSC,” she recalled. “I didn’t plan to start a business, but hunger pushed me. Now I employ two others, and we’re growing.”

To address the situation effectively, experts and youth advocates suggest the government should prioritise policies that embed entrepreneurship into every level of education. They also propose the establishment of youth-focused business hubs across states, simplified access to startup grants, and nationwide mentorship programs to groom future entrepreneurs.

The stories, statistics, and voices are clear: Nigeria’s youths are not just looking for jobs—they are looking for platforms to create jobs. And if the Federal Government listens, it may finally shift the narrative from mass unemployment to a generation of job creators.

“Every unemployed graduate is a missed opportunity to build the next Dangote or Ibukun Awosika,” Dr. Aina emphasised. “Let’s stop training job seekers. Let’s start raising entrepreneurs.”