Youth in Nigeria

The 2009 National Youth Policy recognises 5 priority areas that need to be addressed to enhance youth lives. These include the impact of globalisation, access and use of communication technology, the impact of STDs and HIV/AIDS, intergenerational issues in an ageing society, and youth perpetrators and victims of armed conflict.[3] The 2009 National Youth Policy is guided by several national and international policy initiatives, including National Policies for education, gender, health, population for sustainable development, and the National Economic Empowerment Development Strategy (NEEDS). The Millennium Development Goals, the African Youth Charter, and other international agreements further guide the policy goals found in the document.[3]

Women for health training to support girls and women to train as health workers in northern Nigeria by 2016, providing support to meet entry standards.

National Youth Policy prioritises the difficulties women have faced throughout history. Some women experience less occupational opportunity, physical violence and abuse, and labour exploitation. They suffer negative consequences from teenage marriages and pregnancies. The policy seeks to protect their rights and promote female youths' interests and goals. By empowering females, restoring their dignity, establishing programs to end gender-based discrimination and promoting the rights, Nigerian youth policy places emphasis on the needs of young women.[3]

The National Youth Policy has adopted a program for youth that are disabled. The Federal Republic of Nigeria believes that persons with disabilities have rights that should be protected by the government. The program promotes awareness of struggles that the disabled face, removing negative attitudes, while empowering the young men and women with disabilities.[3]

The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) was founded in 1964 to be the voice and the umbrella organisation for youth organisations in the country. The Youth Council is non‐governmental, non‐partisan, and not‐for‐profit organisation. The council comprises the National Executive Committee (NEC) of 23‐ members. The NEC members are democratically elected from their respective state chapters and its affiliated voluntary youth organisations. The National Youth Council of Nigeria is a major stakeholder in the implementation of the National Youth Policy, As an umbrella organisation for youth NGOs, and youth organisations across the country the NYCN pursues democratic norms at all times, embrace the principles of accountability and transparency in all its conduct, and initiate and execute activities that are in consonance with the goals of the National Youth Policy. Its current president is Amb. Sukubo Sara-igbe Sukubo.[6][7][8][9][10][11] It is charged with the responsibility of policy formulation and implementation on issues bordering Nigerian Youth.[12]

Most Nigerians live in extended large families with separate living quarters. A Nigerian child may be breastfed until the age of 2. Mothers believe there is a bond created between mother and child by breastfeeding. Educating children is regarded as a community responsibility in some ethnic groups.[13] Parenting styles differ among cultures in Nigeria. Nigerian children adapt to one of three roles: authoritarian, authoritative, or permissive, depending on their culture.[13]

Both boys and girls learn to be responsible and hard-working at age 5.[14] Boys contribute to routine tasks outside the home such as helping with the livestock, and helping in the fields. Girls contribute inside the home by cooking and cleaning. Elders tend to value boys higher than girls for their physical abilities and their ancestry. First, fifth, tenth, and fifteenth birthdays are marked by a large gathering for socialising and food and drink consumption as a traditional celebration.[13][14]

Nigerian urban youth develop romantic relationships that are kept a secret. Urban Nigerians are increasingly accepting meeting publicly; romantic relationships often lead to marriage. Cohabitation in urban areas is increasingly accepted prior to marriage while a romantic couple saves money to marry.[14]

Marriage is a coming of age practice among some ethnic groups. The legal minimum age to marry is 18 in most regions. Coming of age practices vary among different cultures. The Tiv people perform a ritual by marking a girl's abdomen with four incisions to make sure they are capable of conceiving a child. The Okrika Tribe hold ceremonies to mark the stage when girls are ready for marriage. These girls are painted and judged by characteristics such as beauty, grace and chastity. The girls then run a race with young men chasing them. Muslim people arrange marriages for their daughters, placing the male's family finances as an influential factor when choosing her husband. Girls are expected to marry soon after finishing school.[14]

Educating youth in Nigeria is prioritised with the goal of reducing poverty, inequality, and overall increasing economic growth.[15] Youth in Nigeria school system consists of six years of primary education, three years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary, and four years of tertiary education.[16] Primary school completion rates are 93% for males, and 91% for females.[15]

It is a requirement for every child in Nigeria to receive a minimum of nine years of free education. The government's dominant role with funding provides funds from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and Education Trust Fund (ETF). Some of the problems Nigerian youth face in education are unbiased access to junior secondary, and senior secondary education for the poor, and the need to adjust the school curriculum to focus on the transition from school to labour economics.[15] The National Youth Policy has implemented a variety of focuses in hopes to improve overall quality of education. These focal points include: development of critical fields of knowledge in applied science and technology, technical skills, vocational skills in agriculture, and promotion of the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).[3]

The policy developed leadership roles and life training skills which seek to keep youth focused on education, politics and overall youth agency. The youth are encouraged to partake in a variety of programs including: gang related violence prevention programs, Extra-curricular competitive and recreational game activities through organisations, and a student union was launched encouraging leadership roles for youth and democratic culture.[3]

Individuals in Nigeria can legally work when they are 15 years old.[13] Data on youth employment in Nigeria are scarce due to underresourced agencies responsible for their collection. Eleven million youth unemployment in Nigeria were believed to be unemployed in 2012.[17]

Nigerian youth have experienced increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) and HIV/AIDS. Prevalence of female youth STD contraction is 17.2%.[18] HIV/AIDS prevalence among all youth is 5.2%, compared to the national prevalence at 4.4%.The Federal Government of Nigeria National Youth Policy attempts to mitigate prevalence by providing care, treatment and support for infected young people. In doing so, government promotes prevention activities through risk reduction, abstinence, and condom use.[3]

STD and HIV/AIDS contraction can cause serious, permanent health issues, infertility, death and social consequences such as social exclusion. Many social factors contribute to the rates of contraction.[18] Advancements in information communication technology expose youth to a variety of values and ways of thinking which differ from their elder generations.[3] Cultural norms serve as barriers to protect themselves in many cultures. Condom use is not a common practice.[18]

Infection rates among youth vary according to gender, region, education, marital status, and other factors. Gender norms constrain youth women from controlling their reproductive and sexual lives. The highest rates of infection happen in the north-central part of the country (with Benue State having the highest prevalence rate), lowest in the Northeast. Urban areas have the higher rates than rural places of residency. Youth with little or no education compromised 1.3% of infected youth, in contrast to higher levels of education whose rates were 4.7%. Prevalence of contraction was higher among youth who had never been married at 2.6%, in contrast to those who were married, 1.8%. Premarital sex is common, even though it is considered a taboo in many ethnic groups. It is common in urban areas for inter-ethnic dating to occur, though inter-religious dating does not occur.[14] Youth who had previous education and testing of HIV/AIDS had higher rates of STD contraction in contrast to those who had no awareness of HIV/AIDS.[3]

Nigerian youth have the right to vote in political elections at 18 years of age.[19] Nigerian youth are campaigning for reduction in age qualification for political position with the Not Too Young To Run bill, which seeks to reduce the age too run for President from 40years to 30years; Governor 35 to 30, Senate 35 to 30, House of Representatives 30 to 25 and State of Assembly 30 to 25.[20][21]

Since the Post Cold War era, oil based revenues and its disbursements in the Niger Delta region has led to massive protests and violence among youth. Young people have engaged in attacks against oil firms and Nigerian militants, hostage taking and hijacking oil workers, youth militancy, vandalising oil pipelines, and detonating bombs.[22] Tension in the public has caused conflict among minority and majority groups which has crippled national and social development.[23] The youth's participation in violence is their way of expressing feelings of marginalisation and that their voices are not heard in competing for resources.[23]

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