Ibadan, Oyo state — Specialists and advocates from educational and professional backgrounds have urged for enhanced focus on improving the lives of Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups, including displaced persons and individuals living with disabilities, who have long faced exclusion.
During the recent “African Youth Pathways to Resilience” workshop in Ibadan, experts highlighted the importance of making governance and empowerment efforts more inclusive, stressing that real progress cannot be made without purposeful inclusion.
Session speakers underscored that removing barriers to participation is vital for African youth seeking meaningful social transformation and better livelihoods.
This event kicked off a major research initiative, the African Youth Pathways to Resilience and Systems Change (AYPReS), spearheaded by Kenya’s Partnership for African Social and Governance Research (PASGR) with support from the MasterCard Foundation.
Advocating Accurate Media Representation of Marginalized Groups
Professor Bukola Akinbola, head of the Department of Jurisprudence and International Law at the University of Ibadan, delivered a keynote urging media outlets to shift their narrative. She called for stories that spotlight the strengths and achievements of people with disabilities and other marginalized individuals, rather than focusing solely on their challenges.
“Integrating youths with disabilities into the mainstream of education and skills development is essential for our nation’s progress. We must create inclusive curricula, employ adaptive teaching methods, and ensure everyone has equal access to growth opportunities for resilience and self-reliance.”
She further emphasized: “Internally displaced persons (IDPs) face unique hardships—many suffer injustices like sexual violence without any hope for redress. Since government resources and legal structures often overlook their needs, organizations like Legal Aid must step in and offer support to these vulnerable communities.”
Dr. Pauline Ngimwa, heading Professional Development and Training at PASGR, explained that the central aim of the AYPReS project is to listen to marginalized youth and design practical policy solutions based on their lived experiences.
She was accompanied by PASGR Programme Officer Rose Njage, and Monitoring & Evaluation Officer Martin Kapchanga.
“AYPReS centers on uplifting the voices and agency of all youth — especially those from marginalized backgrounds such as persons with disabilities, refugees, IDPs, and unemployed young people. We’re interested in how they envision dignified work, the factors that foster resilience, and what systemic transformation truly means. Ultimately, we aim to nurture a new wave of young African researchers focused on youth empowerment and employment,” Ngimwa explained.
Driving Change Through Policy and Research
Dr. Babatunde Ojebuyi, the principal investigator for the Nigeria chapter of the PASGR project, pointed out that the ultimate goal is to create policies that directly improve the lives of young people and marginalized Nigerians — by ensuring their voices shape these solutions.
He emphasized the importance of letting those affected speak for themselves:
“This workshop serves as a launchpad for gathering the experiences and opinions of Nigeria’s most marginalized youth, including those with disabilities and those living in IDP camps,” Ojebuyi noted.
“Our mission is to give these groups the platform to influence policy, rather than dictating solutions to them. Their firsthand accounts will bring truly Nigerian perspectives into a project running across ten African nations, including Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, Benin, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire.”
Workshop Participants Share Their Perspectives
The initial AYPReS workshop brought together participants from diverse backgrounds — youth organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, civil society groups, media professionals, social workers, legal experts, budding entrepreneurs, and those living with disabilities.
Yusuf Olatunji, former National Assistant Secretary for People with Disabilities, argued that real empowerment must go far beyond providing mobility aids:
“True inclusion is about both access and participation. Unfortunately, most efforts aimed at empowering persons with disabilities are limited to wheelchairs and crutches. Intentional, robust support is needed, especially since many young people with disabilities are active in both formal and informal economies — but their needs often go neglected,” Olatunji said.
Participant Mariam Saka voiced her frustration over how difficult it is for youth in the informal sector to find support for their entrepreneurial ventures:
“In reality, government policies ignore the informal economy—even though it represents about 80% of the workforce. Attention is usually reserved for civil servants,” she lamented.
Precious Fela-Steve, an entrepreneurship development trainer, highlighted the critical role digital technology plays in business resilience and growth for youth in Nigeria:
“Without technology, our reach is stunted. Digital solutions already help bridge long-standing gaps across sectors. There’s a wealth of information available to guide personal and professional improvement, but young people need awareness and motivation to seize these opportunities. Resilience is part of Nigeria’s DNA,” Fela-Steve affirmed.
Source: Original
Digital Empowerment as a Pathway for Youth
Previously, leading figures in Nigeria’s technology and educational sectors advised federal authorities to invest in and promote digital skills-building programs, mentorship, and sustainable economic opportunities targeting young Nigerians.
Speaking at a recent technology summit for youth empowerment, Stanley Anyanwu, CEO of Owllup Limited, asserted that government engagement is vital for scaling up digital training efforts—ensuring they move beyond isolated pilot projects to reach youth nationwide.
