‘How Nigeria can close youth unemployment gap’

Some members of the civil society groups have raised concerns about the nation’s youth unemployment, citing the need for improved capacity building to address the issue.

Speaking at a workshop organised by the United Way Greater Nigeria (UWGN) in partnership with eDigital Africa and VFD Group, UWGN noted that skills development was key in checking unemployment in the country.

The Social Media Marketing Workshop was held to assist a portion of the unemployed Nigerian youth acquire relevant digital skills to help their transition into gainful employment and further increase their income earning potential.

“The youth unemployment rate in Nigeria has steadily risen from an average of 12.3% in 2006 to 23.19% in 2018. Since almost half of Nigeria’s population lives in extreme poverty, this continuous increase in unemployment should be given more focus and response. With this in mind, vocational education, particularly skills to employment, plays a critical role in alleviating the burden of unemployment and poverty.

“One of the core focus areas of United Way Greater Nigeria is financial stability. UWGN works to boost financial stability in Nigeria through vocational training for unemployed youth and young entrepreneurs. We believe that this will allow Nigerian youth attain their full potential which will transpire into a decent and honest living. This Social Media Marketing Workshop will provide the opportunity to equip Nigerians with skills for financial stability and consequently, stimulate economic growth”, says  Zehra Talib-Emiko, Interim Executive Director, United Way Greater Nigeria.

Zehra added that the group’s partner, eDigital Africa provided facilitators who demonstrated vast knowledge in social media marketing and content creation. During the workshop, eDigital facilitators supported the participants with lessons on social media best practices and hands-on practice sessions.

Indeed, about 40 participants benefitted from the Social Media Marketing Workshop where they were able to gain knowledge on the best practices on building an online presence, create captivating written and visual content to help businesses stand out and generate leads, and learn techniques to effectively communicate with their target audience and the general public. We hope that these fundamental social media skills will empower them to acquire more relevant digital skills to enhance their entrepreneurship opportunities.