By Livina Oluchi Maduabuchi
Nigeria stands at a demographic crossroads. With over 70 million young people aged 15–35 — nearly 35% of our population — we possess a potential demographic dividend that could propel us into the ranks of the world’s leading economies. Yet, this promise is perilously close to becoming a demographic disaster. Youth unemployment stands at 42.5%, with underemployment adding another 20% (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Millions of young Nigerians are trapped in a cycle of unemployment and underemployment, excluded from the digital economy by a chasm of inadequate skills and unequal access to quality education.
This stark reality brought recent remarks encouraging youths to embrace small-scale trading—selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli—into sharp focus. The ensuing national conversation exposed a deep chasm in perspective. While some rightly highlighted the dignity of honest labour, others saw a tone-deaf response to the grinding economic pressures facing our youth.
Yet, at the Springs of Good-Health Initiative (SOGHI), we see these views not as opposing forces, but as complementary halves of a larger, more complex truth.
There is profound dignity in selling akara. It is not a fallback; it is a cornerstone. These micro-enterprises are the lifeblood of our local economy, sustaining families and building futures from the ground up. For this reason, we must never demean these efforts, but rather celebrate and support them with access to capital, financial literacy, and business management skills.
However, to limit the national conversation to this single point is to fail our young people profoundly. The debate should not end with whether our youth can sell akara, but with a far more urgent question: Are we preparing them for the economy of tomorrow?
The future of work is not coming; it is here. The global digital economy is projected to reach $16.5 trillion by 2028 (Statista, 2023). Artificial intelligence, automation, and digital services are dismantling old industries and birthing entirely new career paths at a breathtaking pace. Adding to this urgency, a 2023 McKinsey report estimates that by 2030, up to 30% of jobs in Nigeria could be partially or fully automated. The jobs that will define the next decade demand skills that are not yet part of our standard curriculum.
Yet today, less than 20% of Nigerian youth possess the basic digital skills required for the modern workforce (World Bank, 2020). This is not a skills gap; it is a skills canyon. And the consequences of inaction are already visible in the frustration, migration, and lost potential of millions of young Nigerians.
Our recent digital skills sessions at Community Secondary School, Kabusa, Abuja, were a testament to this untapped potential. We trained over 120 students in just two weeks. Before the program, 85% had never used a computer. By the end, 92% could navigate digital tools and expressed strong interest in tech-related careers (SOGHI Internal Program Assessment, 2024). The hunger for knowledge we witnessed was electrifying. Students who had never touched a computer were suddenly captivated by the possibilities of coding, digital collaboration, and tech-driven careers. Their enthusiasm obliterated the myth of a reluctant youth. What they lack is not ambition or talent—it is access and opportunity.
Therefore, our national responsibility is two-fold and non-negotiable.
First, we must democratize entrepreneurship. We must provide the financial and infrastructural support that allows an akara seller to scale their business, employ others, and become a pillar of their community.
Second, and critically, we must aggressively future-proof our youth. This requires a deliberate, national strategy to embed future-ready skills into our education system, including:
Digital literacy and computational thinking, Coding, programming, and data analytics, Critical problem-solving and complex communication as well as Innovation and entrepreneurial mindset.
This is not an “either/or” proposition. It is not a choice between akara and technology. Nigeria needs both.
We need the baker who sustains a local community and the software engineer who solves a global problem. We need the artisan, the educator, and the AI specialist. Every skill holds value, and every young person deserves the opportunity to discover their unique potential.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that investing in youth digital skills could add $150 billion to Sub-Saharan Africa’s economy by 2030 (ILO, 2022). Conversely, failure to act could see Nigeria’s youth unemployment rise to 55% by 2030 (Brookings Institution, 2021), creating a lost generation and fuelling social instability.
The current debate is a wake-up call. We must stop asking “Should they sell akara?” and start demanding answers to the real questions:
How are we bridging the digital divide to ensure no Nigerian youth is left behind?
How are we overhauling our education system to deliver market-relevant skills?
How are we creating a nation where a young person can choose from multiple pathways to success, each with dignity and opportunity?
The answers will determine our national destiny. Government must treat youth skills development as a matter of national security, investing in digital infrastructure and modern curricula. Schools must shift from rote learning to practical application. The Private Sector must step up with massive mentorship, internship, and training programs. And Civil Society must continue to serve as the bridge, connecting young talent to opportunity.
The real question facing Nigeria is not whether our young people can fry akara. It is whether we are building a country where a young person can choose to fry akara, or build a rocketship, or start a tech company, or lead a hospital, without being held back by a lack of opportunity.
Our collective responsibility is not to narrow their dreams, but to build the ladders they need to reach them. Every honest business deserves respect; but every young person deserves the right to a prosperous future. The conversation must not limit aspirations. It must expand possibilities.
•Livina Oluchi Maduabuchi is the Founder and Executive Director of Springs of Good-Health Initiative (SOGHI), a nonprofit organisation empowering adolescents and young adults through education, digital skills, and youth development programmes.
