Youth bulge and demographic dividend in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines the possibility of the demographic dividend in Nigeria. It investigates the role of youth empowerment in the attainment of the demographic dividend. It identifies the challenges facing a typical Nigerian youth and the various ways of investing in the youth bulge. It finds that the challenges facing the Nigerian youth ranges from the problem of youth unemployment, limited access to educational and lack of economic opportunities, lack of access to basic education, high HIV prevalence rate to high poverty rate. It posits that contrary to expectations, increase in the population of the youth may undermine development if the challenges facing the youths are not addressed. The paper recommends that the government should create employment and economic opportunities, provide educational and health facilities, and combat poverty in order to ensure that the bulging youth population translates into economic growth and development.