Essay On Youth Empowerment

The word “Youth” is best understood as a period of transition from the dependence of childhood to adulthood independence. It however has different meaning in different context. In Nigerian perspective, youth is referred to an individual between the ages of 18 and 35 years, whose mindset is to learn and apply what he or she knows to contribute and drive the nation forward. The term “Empowerment” refers to the measures designed to increase the degree of self-determination in people and in communities in order to enable them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. Empowerment serves as a tool that can be used to increase the degree of interest and responsibility of the people in the

Youth unemployment, poverty and hunger are now global issues which governments in different parts of the world as well as international bodies are trying to tackle. There has never been a better time to invest in youth empowerment as they are tomorrow’s leaders and if appropriate opportunities are made available to put their natural endowment to creative and productive channels, they are indeed capable of working wonders. Some beneficial outcomes of youth empowerment include empowered and skilled youth, healthier and higher quality of life for the underprivileged, increased self-efficacy and improved social skills of the youths, national development, entrepreneurship, less dependability on government by youth communities. Embracing technical and vocational skills acquisition by young boys and girls can address the skills gap in the economy as well as provide means for young people to be self-employed and fully engaged. Empowering the youth can also increase the supply of high quality technical skills needed to match the growing infrastructure needs of Lagos state. This study focuses on the policy issues and challenges facing the successful implementation of youth empowerment strategies in Lagos