Stakeholders have raised fresh concerns over the growing exclusion of skilled Nigerian youths from the formal labour market, blaming weak policy implementation, limited awareness, and systemic barriers for the trend.

The concerns were expressed in Abuja during the premiere of a documentary by Teach the Child Initiative on Employment Advocacy for Rural Youth.

The documentary supported by the African Union–European Union Youth Action Lab,presented voices from rural communities, capturing experiences of young people who said they are willing to work but lack access to opportunities.

The stakeholders highlighted the disconnect between existing government policies and employment realities.

Speaking, Chief Executive Officer of Teach the Child Initiative, Pearl Utuk, said a significant number of young Nigerians who possess practical skills acquired through apprenticeship and informal learning remain trapped in underemployment or informal work.

According to her, the situation reflects a structural failure rather than a shortage of talent.

She cited findings from engagements across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where many youths attributed their unemployment to lack of access to opportunities, nepotism, and poor information flow.

“What we found is not laziness or lack of ambition. What we found is ambition meeting a wall,” Utuk said.

She disclosed that some beneficiaries of government skills programmes are unable to participate due to basic challenges such as transportation costs, while others are excluded due to lack of connections.

Utuk drew attention to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), a federal policy designed to recognise and certify skills acquired outside formal education, noting that the framework remains largely unknown to both employers and job seekers.

“The problem is not that the policy does not exist. The problem is that it exists in a document that nobody has read,” she said.

She explained that the policy allows individuals with demonstrable skills to receive formal certification equivalent to conventional academic qualifications, thereby improving their chances of securing jobs or contracts.

Utuk noted that despite this, many employers are unaware of the framework, limiting its impact on employment outcomes.

She said in some communities, respondents said they had never encountered government employment opportunities, while others pointed to exclusion driven by favouritism rather than merit.

Utuk said the initiative facilitated dialogues between community members, government agencies, and private sector actors, leading to commitments such as the proposed establishment of a vocational training centre in a previously underserved community.

She urged businesses to rethink recruitment practices and recognise skills beyond formal certificates, while calling on government actors to ensure that existing frameworks like the NSQF are effectively implemented and accessible.

Acting Chief Executive Officer of Connected Development (CODE), Hyeladzira Mshelia James, emphasised the importance of citizen awareness in strengthening accountability and governance.

She noted that many Nigerians are unaware of policies and programmes meant to benefit them, thereby weakening their ability to demand transparency and effective service delivery.

According to her, low awareness levels undermine democratic participation and limit citizens’ capacity to hold institutions accountable.

James highlighted CODE’s Follow the Money initiative, which tracks public spending and supports communities in monitoring projects and engaging government officials.

She stressed that education remains critical to national development, warning that a lack of opportunities for educated youths could have wider social implications.

She added that inclusive systems that recognise skills and expand access to opportunities are essential to harnessing Nigeria’s youthful population.