NPC Urges Greater Investment In Youth To Harness Nigeria’s Demographic Dividend

The National Population Commission (NPC) has urged governments at all levels and other stakeholders to increase investments in young people, warning that Nigeria’s growing youth population could become a burden rather than a driver of economic growth without deliberate policies and sustained investments.

Chairman of the commission, Dr Aminu Yusuf , who spoke at the 2026 World Population Day commemoration in Abuja, said Nigeria’s estimated population of over 238 million, with about 70 per cent under the age of 30, presents enormous opportunities if properly harnessed.

Speaking on the theme: “Realizing the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People Today and for the Future,” the chairman said a youthful population alone does not guarantee a demographic dividend, stressing that the country must invest in education, healthcare, skills development and job creation.

“The question before Nigeria is not whether we have a youthful population. We do. The question is: Are we investing sufficiently in our young people to transform this demographic reality into sustainable national prosperity?” he said.

He warned that failure to make such investments could worsen unemployment, insecurity and social pressures already confronting parts of the country.

According to him, Nigeria’s roadmap on harnessing the demographic dividend identifies investments in quality education, healthcare, sexual and reproductive health services, employment opportunities, digital innovation, entrepreneurship and social inclusion as critical to unlocking the country’s development potential.

The chairman also highlighted key findings from the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, saying the country records an adolescent birth rate of 77 births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, while about 15 per cent of girls in the age group have begun childbearing.

He added that modern contraceptive prevalence among young women remains at 3.3 per cent, with an estimated 15.8 per cent of sexually active adolescents having an unmet need for family planning.

Describing the figures as a call to action, he said they reflect the need for stronger investments in healthcare, education, information and protection systems for young people.

Yusuf further stressed that young people should not merely be seen as beneficiaries of government programmes but as active partners in national development.

“We must move from doing things for young people to doing things with young people. Their voices must inform policy, their experiences must shape programmes and their participation must be reflected in decisions that affect their future,” he said.

The commission called on government institutions, development partners, civil society organisations, the private sector and other stakeholders to renew their commitment to creating opportunities that would enable Nigerian youths to realise their aspirations and contribute meaningfully to national development.