Posted by Samuel on Tue 16th Dec, 2025 - tori.ng
In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said the report is an indictment of the nation’s leadership and economic direction.
Former Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over a recent ActionAid/Plan International report revealing that more than 80 million young Nigerians are unemployed.
In a post on his verified X handle on Tuesday, Obi said the report is an indictment of the nation’s leadership and economic direction.
The ex-Anambra governor said that Nigeria tops the world in the absolute number of unemployed youths due to its large population, with over 80 million youths without jobs.
He added that South Africa with a youth unemployment rate of around 60%, translates to about 6 million unemployed youths, is still more than 70 million fewer than Nigeria.
“When millions of youths are unemployed, it is not a youth problem, it is a leadership failure. This is the direct result of political greed that has failed to serve the people.
“Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world, with about 75% of our citizens under the age of 35. With such a large share of the population young, joblessness at this scale should be a national emergency.
“It is deeply troubling that, rather than investing in these youths as our most productive assets, promoting and supporting MSMEs the drive growth and create employment, we the Leaders chose wasteful spending, corruption, unproductive borrowing, and policies that will shrink opportunities and expand poverty, reducing Nigerian youths to easy tools for all forms of vices.
“Nigeria does not lack entrepreneurial and resourceful youths, what we lack are leaders who are intentional about creating opportunities. We need leaders who understand that jobs come from deliberate investments in production and from running a government that is prudent, transparent, and people-centred, that can lift people out of poverty.
“We need leadership that will see youths as the engine of productivity and growth of a nation. This is the time, more than ever, for the Nigerian youths to get involved and ensure they elect leaders who have their best interest and the best interest of our nation.
“Nigeria deserves competent, credible, compassionate, and capable leadership, one that will create opportunities and empower our young Nigerians,” he wrote.