General
Nigeria’s Youth Still Face Growing Challenges—Zopmal
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. It has approximately 210 million population. Nigeria has the third-largest youth population in the world, after China and India, with more than 90 million of its population under the age of 18.
While this is considered as a huge human resource, the youth also face unprecedented challenges including growing unemployment and insecurity resulting from ethnic conflicts.
As Nigeria is persistently engulfed with so many challenges and problems, it requires a systematic well-defined approach in order to overcome them and make way for a peaceful and promising future for the youth.
Retaining well-trained professionals has been identified as one of the goals of the government. The current situation still makes the future bleak for the majority of them. Some say there is hope on the horizon, only if economic policies generate needed employment, youth policies backed by adequate funds by the Federal Government of Nigeria.
In this interview, Kester Kenn Klomegah met with the former candidate of the Social Democratic Party (2019) for House of Representatives and now the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, Mr Emmanuel Zopmal, where he talks about the current situation, the challenges and the way forward.
Here are the interview excerpts:
Why the youth are showing increasing signs of frustration these few years especially those in the middle belt region of Nigeria?
That is very interesting. I would say that frustration, in any way, is part of human life. It could come at any time. There are conditions that make someone to be under frustration. In this instance, a harsh situation or condition one faces in life without a sign of overcoming it. This makes a person frustrated. It usually comes with worry over a certain particular situation.
In the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Middle Belt is a region that has been under immense pressure from politics and economy. Then the socio-cultural condition has also influenced our lives. The worse now is the high insecurity existing in the country. These factors are, indeed, contributing to the frustration perception we’re talking about here. You can imagine a society of people facing these forms of structural violence for these several years and there is no sign of overcoming these situations.
In your objective assessment, what has contributed to the growing unemployment in the country, considered as the Giant of Africa?
Unemployment is an economic index. It can be relative in nature. People are employed in the formal or informal economy. The extent to which people need to live an average life with an appreciable level of income that can provide for basic needs should be the major concern of the unemployment index. Unemployment perception varies as well. For example, there are two categories, those in the public sector and those in private.
Growing unemployment index can be attributed to mismanagement of the economy. The economy of every country determines how the country is structured, administered and managed for the benefit of the broad majority of the population. Without this, a country will definitely face a high unemployment rate.
Secondly, the system of education plays a role here, the most important aspects that contribute to unemployment perception index. Innovative education produces a high quality of graduates who can create jobs. The standard of education should not be conservative. Research and public policy on education help to get out of this problem often referred to as unemployment.
Frankly speaking, it is difficult to understand why Nigeria claims the Giant of Africa. Perhaps, this claim is only by its huge population. Besides that, Nigeria is not a Giant of Africa.
What are your views about the policies of the federal administration in addressing problems of the youth, especially young graduates?
If the government focuses on research and policy, it will help in addressing the problems of youth. Anyway, one cannot actually measure what are the real problems of the youth, especially young graduates. As earlier mentioned, programs such as innovative education will help graduates to overcome employment challenges. Of course, innovation comes through talent or through research. This development can bring changes in the status quo. People will have access to new ways of doing things that help their lives.
Does the current constitution adequately guarantee the youth’s welfare? What are the pitfalls in the implementation of aspects of the Constitution that connect or relate with youth?
Unfortunately, I look at welfare as benevolence. It makes the younger generation too dependent and unproductive since the government provides their welfare. Youth empowerment should simply be a question of policy, not constitution. Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution only provided policy, the issue of youth is not mentioned. It talks only about the welfare of the “citizens” in the country. In my candid view, the capacity of education and skillset of the youth should be the welfare package of our government.
As a former candidate of the Social Democratic Party (2019) for House of Representatives, do you still press for youth issues?
In the African context, I am still among the youth. Youth is my major constituency. As a former presidential candidate of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (2015), I had my youth policy programs as the key manifesto. I will continue to press for youth’s political participation, contemporary educational standard, skillset, and empowerment.
And now as the President of the Middle Belt Youth Council, what do you consider as the main challenges and the way forward for the youth in Nigeria?
At the moment, the future of our youth must be secured by curbing the ravaging insecurity in the country. With the current rampant insecurity, we cannot move forward. Secondly, the attitude of growing nepotism by government officials in public offices, this culture is bad for our youth. It has to be checked in order not to transfer it to the youth. Government has to take the youth as its national priority. Deliberate policy programs in technological advancement will open up the new horizon for the youth. The youth have to be fully engaged in meaningful activities.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals said it would partner with Vinmar Group, an international petrochemicals distribution company, to bring Dangote polypropylene to global markets.
In March, Dangote Refinery commenced operating its 830,000 metric tonnes per year polypropylene facility in Lagos in 25kg bags for the local market.
Polypropylene is a thermoplastic polymer that is commonly used in plastic packaging, textiles, reusable shopping bags, surgical equipment, household chairs, and kitchen utensils
“We’re pleased to partner Vinmar to introduce Dangote Polypropylene to the global markets,” said Fatima Aliko Dangote, an executive director at Dangote Group at the launch of the facility on Wednesday.
The company had previously said its $2 billion petrochemical plant located in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State, is designed to produce 77 different high-performance grades of polypropylene in the country.
With a turnover of $1.2 billion, the Dangote Petrochemical plant, situated alongside the Dangote Refinery, is positioned to cater to the demands of the growing plastic processing downstream industries, not only in Africa but also in other parts of the world.
“We have 77 types of polypropylene, which can be used for different purposes, and we can produce it from our petrochemical plant. Currently, the plant is capable of producing about 900,000 tonnes of polypropylene per annum. Our Petrochemical plant should be the biggest in Africa,” Mr Devakumar Edwin, now the Vice President of Dangote Industries Limited said earlier this year.
Nigeria currently imports 90 per cent of its annual polypropylene requirements amounting to 250,000 metric tonnes per year.
The Dangote facility seeks to not only meet local demand but become a net exporter.
Now fully operational, the facility is set to become Africa’s largest polypropylene production site, producing from two polypropylene units with capacities of 500,000 metric tonnes per year and 330,000 metric tonnes per year.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi, has denied owning Fidelity Bank Plc, saying he only became the Chairman of the lender like the others.
Mr Obi was reacting to reports that he was in Rome recently for the installation of Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican over the weekend to plead with President Bola Tinubu over a purported N225 billion Supreme Court judgement involving the bank.
In a statement posted on his X (formerly known as Twitter) on Thursday morning, the former Governor of Anambra State disclosed that he was in Italy for the event as a member of the Catholic Church.
“It’s obvious that the biggest business for blackmailers now is talking about Peter Obi from every negative perspective. Even my solemn spiritual trip to Rome has been twisted into yet another blackmail campaign by merchants paid ostensibly to propagate anything negative against Obi.
“One such individual, whose entire life revolves around blackmail, falsely claimed that I went to Rome to have a private meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu regarding a purported N225 billion debt crisis involving Fidelity Bank. These claims are not only baseless, malicious, but entirely false.
“Let me categorically state that I have never sought an audience with, nor met, President Tinubu since he assumed office, except about 1 minute meeting at the arena of Saint Peter’s Basilica Rome during the inauguration Mass of Pope Leo XIV, where I was seated behind, and had to respectfully greet him, and other dignitaries present.
“I was previously in Rome on the 9th of May for the lying in state of Pope Francis. Immediately after the mass and exchanging pleasantries, I went straight from Vatican City to London, and then back to Nigeria.
“The self-proclaimed blackmailer-in-chief and others who thrive on spreading pain and falsehoods have also claimed that I own Fidelity Bank. For the record, I do not. Throughout my career, I have served as Chairman/Director of 3 banks/Financial institutions, of which Fidelity is one of them. Fidelity has over 500,000 shareholders, none of whom hold a majority stake. What this blackmailer seeks is to harm these hard-working Nigerians and cause them needless distress.
“To those peddling these falsehoods, and engaging in blackmail, I offer a simple prayer: May God grant you the virtues of gratitude and understanding to know that we came here with nothing and will go with nothing, that they cannot profit from their evil ways,” he wrote.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Yemi Cardoso, on Tuesday reiterated efforts to remove Nigeria from the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
Nigeria was placed on the Grey List by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) alongside 21 other countries, including South Africa, Burkina Faso, and Cameroon amongst others in 2023 due to failure to fully comply with its obligations to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons.
Speaking at the end of the 300th Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, Mr Cardoso said Nigeria was working towards fixing trust in its financial system, which would enable it exit the list.
“The trust deficit is real but so is our resolve. We’re making the system stronger, safer, and more accountable,” he said.
“Rebuilding trust also means securing our systems. We’ve implemented robust KYC and partnered with NIBSS to ensure safety, screen users, and stay off the FATF grey list,” the central banker added.
Since being put on the grey list, Nigeria has been placed under increased monitoring by the FATF, and this has had consequential effect on transactions involving the country, as well its international outlook for business.
For countries to be removed from the Grey List, the concerned countries must address the shortfalls identified in FATF’s recommendations by strengthening their Anti-Money Laundering (AML)/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT)/Countering Proliferation Financing (CPF) regimes.
The CBN governor, stated that the apex bank is working towards getting Nigeria out of the Grey List in order to foster the $1 billion monthly diaspora remittances, which the CBN is targeting.
Compliance with the FATF recommendations could therefore have far reaching implications on businesses, the financial sector in Nigeria, and the economy as a whole.
The country has recently intensified efforts to exit the list by this current quarter (Q2 2025), a move that will bolster investor confidence and unlock new economic opportunities.
Speaking during the first Capital Market Committee (CMC) meeting of 2025 held in Lagos this week, SEC Director General, Mr Emomotimi Agama, emphasized the far-reaching implications of such a move for Nigeria’s capital market and broader investment environment.
In March, the Minister of State for Finance, Mrs Doris Uzoka-Anite, emphasized the Government’s commitment to ensuring Nigeria’s removal from the grey list.
During a meeting with departments and agencies, she said the Bola Tinubu-led administration was working tirelessly to address the remaining deficiencies in Nigeria’s AML/CFT regime.
“We are confident that our efforts will yield positive results,” she added.
The successful removal of Nigeria from the grey list will not only bolster investor confidence and unlock new economic opportunities but also demonstrate the country’s dedication to upholding international standards and promoting a safer, more transparent global financial system.
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