Wake-Up Call: Northern Youths Can Fix Unemployment If Leaders Step Up, Says Sani Jada

By Emmanuel Kwada

As Nigeria grapples with rising unemployment, poverty, and insecurity, a retired educator and entrepreneurship consultant, Muhammadu Sani Jada, has called on Northern Nigeria to urgently embrace Federal Government empowerment and entrepreneurship programmes as a pathway to sustainable development and economic prosperity.

In a strongly worded opinion piece titled “Federal Government Empowerment and Entrepreneurship Programmes: A Wake-Up Call to Northern Nigeria,” Jada argued that while the Federal Government has rolled out numerous initiatives aimed at equipping citizens with practical skills, fostering entrepreneurship, and creating employment opportunities, the North has not fully capitalized on these interventions.

According to him, the region’s failure to aggressively mobilize and support its youth in accessing available opportunities has contributed significantly to growing unemployment and social instability.

Human Capital Development Remains Key

Jada noted that Nigeria possesses enormous human and natural resources, but stressed that economic advancement depends largely on how effectively citizens are empowered through education, skills acquisition, and entrepreneurship.

He expressed concern that many influential figures in Northern Nigeria—including politicians, legislators, traditional rulers, technocrats, wealthy individuals, and religious leaders—have not invested sufficiently in human capital development.

“The future of any society lies in the capacity and productivity of its people. Unfortunately, many young people in Northern Nigeria remain unaware of the numerous opportunities available through Federal Government programmes,” he stated.

Federal Programmes Offering New Opportunities

The consultant highlighted several key government initiatives designed to address unemployment and stimulate economic growth.

Among them is the National Board for Technical Education’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (NBTE-TVET) programme, which provides practical vocational training, certification, stipends, and support for entrepreneurship development.

Other initiatives identified include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) Programme, the Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP), National Directorate of Employment (NDE) schemes, Youth Investment Fund (YIF), National Youth Development Bank, Digital Literacy for All Initiative, and entrepreneurship support programmes coordinated by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).

According to Jada, these programmes have the potential to transform millions of lives if effectively utilized.

Demographic Advantage at Risk

The opinion article warns that Northern Nigeria’s large youth population could either become a powerful engine for economic growth or a source of prolonged social challenges.

Jada argued that failure to equip young people with relevant skills and economic opportunities has contributed to the rise of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, drug abuse, human trafficking, youth restiveness, and other social problems affecting the region.

“When productive opportunities are absent, idle youths become vulnerable to criminal exploitation and manipulation,” he observed.

Call for Collective Responsibility

The consultant emphasized that reversing the trend requires a coordinated effort from all segments of society.

He urged Northern elites to sponsor youths into government training programmes, establish scholarship and vocational development funds, create mentorship platforms, and support startups through grants and soft loans.

Religious leaders, he said, should use their influence to promote entrepreneurship and the dignity of labour, while traditional institutions should mobilize communities to participate actively in empowerment programmes.

Parents were also encouraged to support vocational and technical education alongside conventional academic pursuits.

Furthermore, Jada called on governments at all levels to strengthen technical colleges, establish additional skills acquisition centres, facilitate access to startup capital, and create favourable conditions for small-scale enterprises to thrive.

A Call to Action

Concluding his intervention, Jada stressed that the future of Northern Nigeria depends not on political rhetoric but on deliberate investments in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development.

He maintained that the opportunities provided by the Federal Government can only yield meaningful results when citizens actively participate and stakeholders commit to supporting youth empowerment initiatives.

“A skilled youth is an asset to society, while an unemployed youth represents a challenge waiting to happen,” he said, urging Northern communities to seize available opportunities and build a more prosperous future.

His message serves as a timely reminder that sustainable development in Northern Nigeria will require a shift from dependency to productivity, with empowerment and entrepreneurship placed at the centre of regional development strategies.