The Federal Government of Nigeria, in yet another grand announcement, claims it’s about to solve youth unemployment by creating a whopping one million jobs. Sounds great, right? Except we’ve heard this story before. This time, the ambitious plan is to spread these jobs across all 774 local government areas in the country. One might wonder if this is just another shiny promise that will fade into obscurity as quickly as it appeared.
Minister of State for Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, proudly delivered this news in Abuja on Friday, assuring Nigerians that the government is determined to “educate, inspire, and connect” the nation’s youth to new career paths—this time, in the thrilling world of insurance. The federal government has set its sights on the insurance sector as the magic bullet for youth unemployment. And how are they planning to make this leap? Digital technology, of course, because that’s apparently the solution to everything these days.
According to Olawande, the goal is to get more young Nigerians involved in the insurance sector, not just to create jobs but also to push financial inclusion. It sounds nice on paper, but let’s not forget, these grand proclamations tend to get buried under bureaucracy and inefficiency, with the youth left waiting for these promised jobs that never seem to materialize.
As if to sweeten the deal, the government has also mentioned its upcoming rural electrification project, slated to begin in November. This $750 million World Bank-funded initiative, spearheaded by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), is supposedly going to light up the lives of 17.5 million Nigerians. Now, while that sounds like another commendable effort, one can’t help but notice how these massive plans keep piling up with little to show for them in the long run.
We have all seen how previous projects and job creation drives have been hyped up, only to fall short of their lofty goals. So while the government promises to tackle unemployment and boost the economy through the insurance sector, the skepticism is real. Will this project actually take off and provide the opportunities young Nigerians so desperately need, or is this just another PR exercise with little substance?
The focus on digital technology and insurance might be an innovative approach, but the success of this initiative depends on the actual execution, something the Nigerian government has not exactly been known for. How will these jobs be created? What specific roles will young people play in the insurance sector, and how sustainable are these positions? Are they aiming for long-term career opportunities, or are these just temporary fixes to a chronic problem?
While the promise of one million jobs sounds like a dream come true for Nigeria’s youth, it’s hard not to remain skeptical. We’ve seen too many of these big announcements fizzle out with little to no impact. The real challenge will be in making sure these jobs actually exist and that young people are genuinely empowered, not just by digital technology, but by real opportunities that lead to lasting economic growth.
