Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasized the need for a structured and forward-thinking approach to youth leadership development, describing it as fundamental to long-term national advancement. He stated that Nigeria's position among the world's youngest countries holds no inherent advantage unless matched with intentional institutional investments. Speaking on Wednesday during the 2024 National Youth Dialogue in Abuja, Shettima noted that a large youth population, while potentially transformative, could become a liability without strategic planning. He cited the country's median age of 18.4 years, underscoring that over 60 percent of Nigerians are under the age of 35. "A youthful population is not a guarantee of economic boom," he said. "Without deliberate policies and institutional frameworks to harness their energy and creativity, we risk turning a demographic dividend into a demographic disaster." Shettima called for coordinated efforts among government, private sector, and civil society to create sustainable pathways for youth engagement in decision-making.
Kashim Shettima's warning that Nigeria's youth bulge could become a liability hits at a core contradiction in national planning—celebrating a young population while failing to build systems that empower it. The Vice President's reference to a median age of 18.4 years is not just a statistic; it is a reflection of a country where the majority of citizens are excluded from meaningful economic and political participation.
Despite repeated high-level acknowledgments like this one, youth inclusion remains rhetorical. The 2024 National Youth Dialogue, where Shettima spoke, is one of many forums that generate statements but little structural change. The government has not passed a national youth investment bill, and youth unemployment remains above 50 percent for those aged 15–24. When leaders frame youth as both the future and a potential threat, it reveals anxiety, not strategy.
For millions of young Nigerians, especially school leavers in urban slums and rural areas, the absence of skills training, civic access, and job pipelines turns energy into frustration. This isn't a future risk—it is the current reality. A demographic advantage only exists when institutions act on the data they cite.
Nigeria has held youth dialogues for over a decade, yet each iteration repeats the same concerns without accountability for past inaction. Shettima's remarks fit a pattern: elite recognition of crisis without redistribution of power or resources to resolve it.
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