–85.5 % Prefer staying back with things right

–Unemployment fueling insecurity

By Son Tertsegha, Abuja

A new survey has shown that seventy-three per cent of young Nigerians are forced to consider emigration due to unemployment, limited economic opportunities and poor access to capital.

Made public in Abuja at a dialogue organised by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and its Youth Advisory Committee to mark International Youth Day, the Nigerian Youth Pulse Survey found that most respondents were not seeking to leave Nigeria for a foreign dream but in search of jobs, skills and sustainable livelihoods.

60.9 per cent identified lack of capital and access to finance as their biggest obstacle, among respondents seeking stable incomes,, while 49.1 per cent cited inadequate job opportunities. Skills gaps accounted for 42.7 per cent of responses, while 37.3 per cent blamed a weak business environment, including high interest rates and limited access to credit.

The survey, which covered more than 100 young Nigerians, also showed that the desire to leave could change if economic conditions improve. About 85.5 per cent of respondents said they would prefer to remain in Nigeria if better economic opportunities were available.

The Netherlands’ Ambassador to Nigeria, Bengt van Loosdrecht, said the findings showed that young Nigerians wanted functional systems and opportunities at home rather than an exit route.

He said unemployment ranked above insecurity as a major driver of the country’s youth emigration trend, adding that a stronger economy with more opportunities could persuade more young Nigerians to remain in the country.

The survey also linked unemployment to insecurity, with respondents supporting a “jobs before policing” approach to national security. They argued that economic exclusion contributes to vulnerability to crime alongside weak law enforcement.

To address the funding gap, the report urged the government and financial institutions to develop more inclusive financing models for young entrepreneurs by reducing collateral requirements and simplifying loan applications.

It also recommended greater use of mobile technology and mentorship programmes to expand access to finance.

On employment, the report called for a shift from training programmes focused mainly on certificates to programmes that lead directly to income. It recommended stronger partnerships between employers and training providers, paid work-based learning and commercial agribusiness initiatives.

The report further proposed entry-level hiring quotas and tax incentives for companies that employ young Nigerians.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Community Engagement (North Central), Abiodun Essiet, said the findings could help shape government policy and called for greater inclusion of women in youth-focused platforms.

The National Executive Council, NEC, of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, has commended the Department of State Services and other security agencies for their partnership in safeguarding journalists, while urging media practitioners to shun sensationalism in reporting terrorism and insecurity.

The resolution was reached at the NEC meeting held in Dutse, Jigawa State, on August 11, 2026. The meeting, chaired by the NUJ National President, Comrade Alhassan Yahya Abdullahi, had in attendance National Officers, as well as Chairmen and Secretaries of State Councils.

After exhaustive deliberations on issues affecting the profession, national security, welfare and institutional development, NEC issued a communiqué with key resolutions.

NEC commended various security agencies, particularly the DSS, for their continued cooperation and support in promoting the safety and security of journalists and the media community.

The Council urged the agencies to “sustain and deepen this partnership,” citing the increasing security challenges confronting journalists in the course of their professional duties.

The Union called on journalists and media organisations to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, accuracy and responsibility in reporting terrorism, banditry, insurgency and other forms of insecurity.

NEC warned against sensationalism and the glorification of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements, saying such coverage could amplify propaganda, facilitate recruitment, or enhance the public profile of criminal groups.

“The Union reaffirmed its commitment to ethical journalism and emphasised the importance of accurate, balanced and responsible reporting that serves the public interest while taking into consideration national security and the safety of journalists,” the communiqué stated.

In view of the prevailing security challenges in the North, NEC endorsed the proposed Northern States Security Summit to be hosted by Zamfara State.

The Union described the summit as an important platform for stakeholders to deliberate on practical and sustainable strategies for addressing insecurity and enhancing the protection of journalists, media organisations and the wider society.

All NEC members were directed to participate actively in the summit.

The Dutse meeting focused broadly on the journalism profession, safety and welfare of journalists, professional development, agriculture, strategic partnerships, and the unity and growth of the Union.

By Son Tertsegha

For Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target to be achieved by 2030 as envisaged by President Boka Tinubu, George Onafowokan, Coleman Technical Industries managing director, says its success hinges entirely on manufacturing, affordable power and patient capital.

The helmsman of Nigeria’s largest indigenous manufacturer of electrical and telecommunications cables, has a blunt diagnosis as to why Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy target remains out of reach: the country is still exporting raw materials when it should be processing them, borrowing at commercial rates when manufacturers need patient capital, and paying some of the highest energy costs on the continent while competitors pay a fraction as much.

In his opinion, manufacturing is a critical “missing link” in Nigeria’s quest to achieve President Bola Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target by 2030, warning that the goal would remain difficult without aggressive government support for local manufacturing, value addition, affordable financing and reliable power.

Speaking on government’s economic agenda, Onafowokan said projections indicate Nigeria could reach $700 billion to $800 billion in GDP by 2030 under current trends. Hitting $1 trillion, he said, would require annual growth above 10%, a pace that demands more than macroeconomic stabilization alone.

His argument is structural. Agriculture, he said, cannot drive economic transformation without a manufacturing sector capable of converting raw materials into finished products. The example he reached for is one Coleman knows intimately: cocoa. Nigeria grows it.

Other countries process it and capture the value. The same dynamic plays out in palm products and shea butter, where a $140 million investment in cocoa processing and new policies requiring local shea processing before export have begun to shift the equation.

Nigeria’s non-oil exports have risen from 17% to approximately 23% of the total, a gain Onafowokan attributed to deliberate fiscal policies promoting domestic manufacturing. In his own words,
“You cannot separate manufacturing from agriculture … “We don’t want to remain exporters of raw materials. Processing agricultural produce such as cocoa, palm products and shea butter adds value, creates employment and strengthens the economy.”

However, he has thumbs up for the Central Bank of Nigeria for stabilizing the foreign exchange market and moderating inflation, saying its financial reforms have improved business planning.

But he was pointed in his criticism of Nigeria’spower deficit as this has forced Coleman to spend more than $20 million building its own gas-fired electricity supply, capital that otherwise should have gone into machinery and additional jobs.

The company still pays as much as $8.70 per thousand standard cubic feet of gas after making that investment, a rate he described as a policy failure requiring urgent attention.

It’s regrettable that power accounts for nearly 40% of manufacturers’ production costs in Nigeria, by his estimate. He urged the federal government to reduce gas prices for manufacturers, arguing that cheaper energy would make Nigerian industries more competitive and accelerate growth.

He criticised the Bank of Industry, BoI, directly. The institution, he argues, is a development finance bank that should be offering affordable long-term capital, not loans priced at commercial rates.

“You cannot borrow at commercial interest rates above 20% and expect industries to expand.”

He therefore calls on the government to deliberately nurture indigenous billion-dollar companies across manufacturing, agriculture and mining, arguing that foreign investors alone cannot drive Nigeria’s transformation. In take is that:

“No foreigner can grow Nigeria for us. Nigerians must grow Nigeria.”

Coleman Technical Industries was founded in 1975 by Solomon Kayode Onafowokan, the Asiwaju of Remoland, who remains chairman.

George Onafowokan joined the business in 2002 after a career in the United Kingdom and led the restructuring that transformed it into Nigeria’s largest indigenous cable manufacturer, with assets growing from N50 million in 2002 to over N400 billion by the end of 2024.