By Gabriel Ameh, The Sight News
Nigeria’s deepening youth employment crisis took center stage as Teach the Child Initiative premiered its documentary on Employment Advocacy for Rural Youth in Abuja, exposing systemic barriers keeping millions of skilled young Nigerians locked out of opportunities.
Speaking at the premiere, CEO Pearl Utuk described the situation as “ambition meeting a wall,” revealing that despite Nigeria’s estimated 230 million population, a significant portion of its youth, particularly those without formal education but with practical skills remain trapped in informal or underpaid work.
Drawing from field engagements across the six area councils of the FCT, Kuje, Bwari, Kwali, Gwagwalada, Abaji, and AMAC—the organisation documented recurring challenges including lack of access, poor information flow, transportation barriers, and entrenched nepotism.
Utuk highlighted a critical but underutilised government policy, the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), which allows Nigerians to gain formal certification for skills acquired outside traditional education systems. She lamented that many employers and even hiring managers remain unaware of its existence.
“We are not dealing with a talent deficit in Nigeria,” she said. “We are dealing with a systems problem and an access problem.”
The documentary, supported by the African Union European Union Youth Action Lab and implemented with partners like Restless Development and the European Youth Forum, captures real life stories of resilience and missed opportunities among rural youth.
Beyond storytelling, the project recorded tangible outcomes, including commitments to establish a mass education training centre in underserved communities and direct job opportunities for participants during town hall engagements.
Utuk called on employers, policymakers, and government agencies to align recruitment practices with existing frameworks like the NSQF, urging stakeholders to bridge the gap between policy and practice.
“The law already recognises their skills,” she said. “The question is do we?”
