As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2025 International Youth Day, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has advocated for a comprehensive rights-based approach to youth empowerment that tackles unemployment, facilitates access to quality health and education and prepares youth for leadership.
The Commission also emphasized the imperatives of strengthening protection efforts for the younger population, boost their access to economic opportunities as well as ensuring that they participate actively at all levels of governance.
The Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, who stated this in a statement to mark the 2025 International Youth Day urged the government and other stakeholders to support the young population towards realizing their aspiration in order for them to contribute their quota to peace building and national development.
According to him, young Nigerians are not just beneficiaries of development but deep thinkers, active innovators, mobilizers, and partners in shaping a future anchored on equity, dignity, and respect for human rights.
He said: “In advancing the Commission’s mandate and inclusivity, we are committed to empowering youth voices, ensuring their full participation in decision making processes, and protecting their rights in line with national and international human rights obligations.”
Ojukwu noted that despite the huge potential, energy and resilience of Nigerian youth, their path remains fraught with significant challenges such as unemployment, underemployment, poor access to quality education and the right leadership mentorship.
He expressed concern about the prevalent economic uncertainty faced by the Nigerian youth, pointing out that young people are mostly affected by the rising cost of living, which has emerged as the most pressing concern, followed closely by unemployment, poverty, and insecurity.
He said these factors take a heavy toll on their well-being, with many expressing frustration at limited opportunities for meaningful political and economic participation and a sense of exclusion from governance processes.
He observed that key social determinants such as access to youth-friendly health services, including mental health and reproductive care, remain inadequate, especially for young and vulnerable women and those in rural communities.
International Youth Day is marked on the 12th of August annually.
