YOUTH PARTICIPATION: A Way Forward for Nigeria's Development. (By AKINRINDE, Ibukunoluwa Jeremiah).

1. YOUTH PARTICIPATION: A Way
Forward for Nigeria’s Development
by
AKINRINDE, Ibukunoluwa Jeremiah

2. AGENDA
• FOF’s Drive
• Vision & Strategy of RUN
• Introduction
• Explanation of Key Terms
• Why Youths?
• Our Worries
• The Way Forward
• Conclusion

3. FOF’S DRIVE
Today, there are far too many mouths to feed, increasing rates of crime and degenerating
value for life than any other statistics in history will show. Our society no doubt lies in
deep moral decay that demands urgent and collaborative efforts from concerned
people who are willing to make a change. As we move from discussing the effect of
rural-urban migration, to the widening gap between the rich and the poor in the
society, to the colossal damage caused by the growing negligence of our value system,
the need to support and sustain quality education, care and inspire hope, cannot be
overemphasized. The problems that stare us on the face today are beyond mere words.
Action is a must if any meaningful impact can be made.

4. VISION & STRATEGY OF RUN
• We have a vision for a better nation; a Nigeria of frank and candid academicians,
dependable and honest artisans, God fearing and faithful pastors, decent and law-
abiding citizens, trustworthy and upright youths, caring and compassionate doctors,
honourable and truthful politicians, open and sincere business community, courageous
and reliable public servants.
• We have a vision for a country where judges are just and impartial, soldiers, policemen
and women are compassionate and considerate, traditional rulers embody distinction,
dignity and decorum, bankers are honest and honourable.
• We have a vision for a future generation of creative, innovative, inventive
entrepreneurs. We want to mould a generation of kind, thoughtful and gentle
adolescents, who are motivated to build and sustain a better Nigeria where peace,
justice fairness and Godliness reign. We are looking forward with optimism and intense
anticipation for a Nigeria we can all defend, protect and the proud of.
• On graduation from RUN, you will become a rock in which gems are embedded. These
gems are the precious and prized characteristics of decency, honesty, humility, integrity,
probity, tender caring nature, uprightness, virtue and just plain goodness.

5. INTRODUCTION
• Recent statistics from the Ministry of Youth Development shows that 28.14million
Nigerian youths, representing 42% of the youth population, are unemployed. The
statistics also indicates that 80% of the unemployed youth have only secondary school
certificates and below. Some graduates have taken-up jobs that demean their worth.A
number have fallen into crimes and social vices. Others have embarked on visionless
emigration in search for ‘greener pastures’.
• This appears irreconcilable with the fact that Nigeria has several growth reserves, which
when spurred, could catapult the growth rate to 10% or more for a sustained period as
China has experienced in the last two decades. For example, a substantial part of
Nigeria’s productive resources remain idle – waiting to be mobilized. Only 40% of the
arable land is under cultivation, with 60% lying fallow. Much of the natural resources –
oil, gas, bitumen, limestone, iron ore, columbite, gold, coal, gypsum, etc. – remain
untapped.
• Nigeria has the 6th largest deposit of natural gas in the world, and in the next few years,
income from gas will surpass earnings from oil. Also, Nigeria possesses a reserve of
resourceful population which provides the potential of a sound bridge of the future.
Our large and expanding youthful population could provide the continuing growth
dynamite as oppose to the ageing Western population.

6. EXPLANATION OF KEY TERMS
Meaning of Youth
• The time of life when someone is young : the time when a young person has not yet
become an adult (Merriam-Webster).
• The early period of existence, growth, or development (Merriam-Webster).
• Youth is also defined as "the appearance, freshness, vigor, spirit, etc., characteristic of
one who is young" (Dictionary.com).
• Youth is the stage of constructing the self-concept. The self-concept of youth is
influenced by several variables such as peers, lifestyle, gender, and culture.[9] It is the
time of a person's life in which they make choices which will affect their future (Wing,
John, Jr., 2012).
• The UN, for statistical consistency across regions, defines ‘youth’, as those persons
between the ages of 15 and 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member
States. (UNESCO).
• Other synonyms: adolescent, juvenile, youngster; schoolboy; etc

7. EXPLANATION OF KEY TERMS (Cont.d)
Meaning of Participation
• Participation in social science (i.e., management, economics and politics) refers to
different mechanisms for the public to express opinions - and ideally exert influence -
regarding political, economic, management or other social decisions. Participatory
decision-making can take place along any realm of human social activity, including
economic (i.e. participatory economics), political (i.e. participatory democracy or
parpolity), management (i.e. participatory management), cultural (i.e. polyculturalism)
or familial (i.e. feminism). (Wikipedia)
• From the administrative viewpoint, participation can build public support for activities.
It can educate the public about an agency's activities. It can also facilitate useful
information exchange regarding local conditions. Furthermore, participation is often
legally mandated. (Glass, J.J., 1979).
• From the citizen viewpoint, participation enables individuals and groups to influence
agency decisions in a representational manner. (Eva-Maria Verfürth, 2013).
• Other synonyms: involvement, involution, engagement, taking part, contribution,
partnership, involvement, assistance, sharing in, joining in, partaking, etc.

8. EXPLANATION OF KEY TERMS (Cont.d)
Meaning of Youth Participation
• Youth participation is the active engagement of young people throughout their
communities. (Wikipedia).
• Youth participation is the involving of youth in responsible, challenging action that
meets genuine needs, with opportunities for planning and/or decision-making affecting
others in an activity whose impact or consequence is extended to others— i.e., outside
or beyond the youth participants themselves. (National Commission on Resources for
Youth).
Meaning of Development
• The systematic use of scientific and technical knowledge to meet specific objectives or
requirements (BusinessDictionary.com).
• An extension of the theoretical or practical aspects of a concept, design, discovery, or
invention (BusinessDictionary.com).
• The process of economic and social transformation that is based on complex cultural
and environmental factors and their interactions (BusinessDictionary.com).

9. WHY YOUTHS?
• Because half of the 7 billion is under 25 years old.
• Youths being the largest segment of the nation’s population structure should be seen as
an essential asset – a crucial pool of talent, ideas, and energy – that plays a critical role
in addressing the challenges related to national instability.
• Young people are crucial actors in advancing the work of our mother land as they are
the principal stakeholders of societies that are increasingly free from stereotypes,
discrimination and extremism.
• It is important to recognize young people’s contribution to promoting respect and
understanding and fostering dialogue among people of different backgrounds.
• Youth constitute the true basis of the sustainability and impact for any nation that really
wants to position itself for landmark developmental stride.

10. OUR WORRIES
Year Commercial Banks Loans to
Small Scale Enterprises
(N’m)
Commercial Banks Total
Credit (N’m)
Commercial Banks Loans to
Small Scale Enterprises at
percentage of Total Credit
1992 20,400.0 41,810.0 48.8
1993 15,469.9 48,056.0 32.2
1994 20552.5 92,624.0 22.2
1995 32,374.5 141,146.0 22.9
1996 42,302.1 169,242.0 25.0
1997 40,844.3 240,782.0 17.0
1998 42,260.7 272,895.5 15.5
1999 46,824.0 353,081.1 15.3
2000 44,542.3 508,302.2 8.7
2001 52,428.4 796,164.8 6.6
2002 82,368.4 954,628.8 8.6
2003 90,176.5 1,210,033.1 7.5
2004 54,981.2 1,519,242.7 3.6
2005 50,672.6 1,899,346.4 2.7
2006 25713.7 2,524,297.9 1.02
2007 41,100.4 4,813,488.8 0.85
2008 13,512.2 7,806,751.4 0.17
2009 63,300.7 35,167,203.7 0.17
2010 60,424.7 37,433,800.6 0.16
Ratio of loans to small scale enterprises to commercial banks’ total credit (1992-2010)
The amount of
percentage of total
loan to small scale
enterprises as a
proportion of total
credit reduced
drastically over the
years.
Source: CBN Statistical Bulletin – Computed from Deposit Money Bank’s Returns

11. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Country Population below $1 a day (%) World Rank
Botswana 30.3 67
Ghana 28.6 78
Nigeria 70 6
Tanzania 36 52
South Africa 50 24
Poverty in selected African countries for the year 2012
Source: www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69
Source: www.indexmundi.com/g/r.aspx?v=69
The poorest of
these category &
6th in the world.
Country Human Development Index (HDI) World Rank
Botswana 0.634 119
Ghana 0.558 135
Nigeria 0.471 153
Tanzania 0.476 152
South Africa 0.629 121
Human Development Index in selected African countries for the year 2012
The least developed
of these category &
the 153rd in the
world.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index

12. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Index
Crime Index: 77.80
Safety Index: 22.20
26.7
48.3
Urban
Rural
Source: http://www.numbeo.com/crime/country_result.jsp?country=Nigeria
Crime Index & Safety Index

13. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Item 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Population 140.4 145.0 150.0 154.3 159.2 164.3
Economically Active 78.9 81.4 84.1 86.7 89.5 92.4
Labour Force 57.5 59.3 61.2 63.1 65.1 67.2
Employed 50.3 51.7 52.0 50.7 51.2 51.1
Unemployed 7.1 7.5 9.1 12.4 13.9 16.1
Newly Unemployed 0.1 0.46 1.6 3.3 1.5 2.1
Nigerian Labour Market Indicators, 2006-2011 (Million)
Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS): 2011 Annual Socio-Economic Report, Abuja.
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 10 12
EMP GRDP UEMP
The Nigerian Economic Paradox
The Nigerian economy is an
ironical reality of economic
theory-
• Rising Real GDP Growth Rate
• Rising Unemployment Rate
• Falling Employment Rate

14. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
(1)
Decreasing
Employment
(2)
Increasing
Unemployment
(4)
Insufficient & depleted
foreign exchange reserve
to import essential capital
goods
(3)
Lack of investible funds
to explore business
opportunities
Need for an
individual
embrace of
the SME
option
Need for a
national
embrace of
the SME
option
Source: Akinrinde, I.J. (2014)
The graph in the
previous slide portrays
a serious
unemployment gap
that can’t be met by
the traditional
increase in
employment level.
This explains why we
are perpetually
wallowing in poverty
and a circular flow of
penury.
The Circular Flow of Penury

15. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Year Poverty
Incidence
(%) (Head
Count)
Estimated
Population
(Million)
Population
in Poverty
(Million)
Non-Poor Moderately
Poor
Extremely
Poor
1980 27.2 65.0 17.1 72.8 21.0 6.2
1985 46.3 75.0 34.7 53.7 34.2 12.1
1992 42.7 91.5 39.2 57.3 28.9 13.9
1996 65.6 102.3 67.1 34.4 36.3 29.3
2004 54.4 126.3 68.7 43.3 32.4 22.0
2010 69.0 163.0 112.47 31.0 30.3 38.7
Poverty in Nigeria, 1980-2010
Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nigeria’s Poverty Profile, 2010.

16. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Zone Food Poverty Absolute
Poverty
Relative
Poverty
Under $1 Per
Day
North Central 38.6 59.5 67.5 59.7
North East 51.5 69.0 76.3 69.1
North West 51.8 70.0 77.7 70.4
South East 41.0 58.7 67.0 59.2
South South 35.5 55.9 63.8 56.1
South West 25.4 49.8 59.1 50.1
Geo-Political Structure of Poverty in Nigeria, 2010
Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Nigeria’s Poverty Profile, 2010.

17. OUR WORRIES (Cont.d)
Sector Food Poor Absolute Poverty Relative Poverty Dollar Per Day
Urban 26.7 52.0 61.8 52.4
Rural 48.3 66.1 73.2 66.3
Urban/Rural Incidence of Poverty by Different Poverty Measures Including Food Poor (2010).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Abuja.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Food Poor Absolute
Poverty
Relative Poverty Dollar Per Day
Urban
Rural

18. THE WAY FORWARD
The Positive Youth Development (PYD) Theory
The theory of PYD suggests that “if young people have mutually beneficial relations with
the people and institutions of their social world, they will be on the way to a hopeful future
marked by positive contributions to self, family, community, and civil society” (Lerner, R.M.
et.al, 2005). To that end, PYD refers to intentional efforts of other youth, adults,
communities, government agencies, and schools to provide opportunities for youth to
enhance their interests, skills, and abilities. “The positive youth development approach
aims at understanding, educating and engaging children in productive activities rather than
at correcting, curing or treating them for maladaptive tendencies or so-called disabilities”
(Damon, 2004).
PYD is both a vision, an ideology and a new vocabulary for engaging with youth
development (Lerner, R.M. et.al, 2005). Its tenets can be organized into the 5 C’s which are:
• competence
• confidence
• connection
• character
• caring
When these 5 C’s are present, the 6th C of “contribution” is realized. (McKay et.al, 2011).

19. THE WAY FORWARD
A Call for National Vanguards
• The nation now is bewildered with lack of sustainable and effective SME-initiatives,
wrong policy frameworks, hostile environment, backwardness in technology, over-
dependence on imported products, lack of motivation of workers, poor technology,
over bureaucratization, government instability, unemployment, insecurity, inadequate
infrastructural facilities, a poor attitude to work, and poor leadership style amongst
other factors.
• Today we find more youth who chooses to spend their days taking hard drugs and
playing video games; instead of bettering themselves or going to work. They have no
vision and if they do have dreams they do not have the drive to make any attempt at
achieving them. Things have to change, with our schools, with the older generation
being good role models, with the older generation being mentors, and with the youth
who are right now doing nothing.

20. THE WAY FORWARD
A Call for National Vanguards (Cont.d)
We need immediate panache to address this malaise; which include but not limited to:
• Establishment of a Department of Business, Innovation & Skill to address the concerns
of youths Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET).
• Volunteerism, patriotism, philanthropy & nation-building.
• Establishment of youth advocacy council as a unit of the ministry of youth development
• Need for value re-orientation.

21. CONCLUSION
• From the presentation so far, we can therefore decipher that youth participation refers
more particularly to a highly organized, intelligent groups of men and women who will
plan ways of using public funds efficiently and effectively for the good of the citizenry.
• This group of men pioneer experiments, and blaze trails in new fields of endeavour.
They are the brains of civilization. We all know that steam ships and railroads do not
spring up from the earth and function automatically. They come in response to the call
of civilization, through the labour, ingenuity and organizing ability of men who have
imagination, faith, enthusiasm, decision, persistence!

22. THANK YOU ALL FOR LISTENING