The Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Warri, Delta State, has collaborated with the Resourceful Youth Network Initiative (RYNI) to host a national youth empowerment summit addressing Nigeria’s unemployment crisis.
According to a statement released on Monday by RYNI’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Lawson Obasenu, the virtual summit was held on Friday under the theme: “The Unemployment Dilemma: Government or Citizens to Blame? Navigating the Job Crisis and the Future of Nigerian Youths.”
Dr. Obasenu explained that the programme was designed to equip graduates and young professionals with insights into tackling unemployment, stressing that the future of Nigerian youths depends on innovation and creativity rather than reliance on certificates alone.
“This is not about politics or statistics, but about finding real solutions,” he said. “Nigeria’s greatest resource is its youth, not as job seekers, but as job creators. The future is not given, it is taken. We must stop waiting and start building.”
Contributors at the summit highlighted the complex roots of unemployment and proposed strategies to bridge the gap between education, policy, and job creation.
Gloria Evbaru-Okhuaihesuyi, a lecturer at the University of Benin, described unemployment as a “dual crisis,” pointing to corruption and skill gaps as major barriers. She urged government support for small businesses and called on youths to actively pursue skill acquisition.
UK-based energy transition consultant, Donald Umunna, noted that Nigeria’s challenge lies in execution, not policy absence. “Policies exist, but execution fails. Nigeria thrives informally because formal systems break down. Collaboration is the secret; no tree makes a forest,” he said.
Similarly, SERVICOM director and entrepreneurship expert, Dr. Ndudi Francis Ejimofor, lamented the disconnection between academia and industry, stating: “Our universities manufacture certified graduates, not skilled ones. We need economic policies that engineer jobs, not just paper qualifications.”
Other speakers raised concerns about structural and systemic issues. CEO of Oshionela Global Ltd, John Amagbor, argued that youth entrepreneurship in Nigeria often amounts to survival rather than success due to lack of capital, policies, and infrastructure.
From a global perspective, Canada-based cybersecurity expert, Ochuko Adogbeji, highlighted Nigeria’s neglect compared to international models. “Nigerians excel abroad because systems abroad support them. At home, our youths wrestle with policies that ignore them,” he said. Similarly, US-based IT consultant, Osi Avwunudiogba Diji, underscored the role of digital skills and exchange programmes in driving opportunities, urging Nigerian youths to embrace persistence through the mantra “PUSH—Persist Until Something Happens.”
Closing the summit, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee and SUG-PTI representative, Godgift Oghenegavwraye, described the event as a rallying call for Nigerian youths. “This is our fight, our future. Today’s conversation is for every student and every graduate caught in the web of joblessness,” he declared.
