Inspired by Jimmy Khoury’s viral LinkedIn post, “African teenagers, pay attention,” this feature confronts a stark truth many would rather ignore: the future is no longer about potential; it is about preparation.
Nigeria sits on the edge of a youthquake. The country boasts the largest youth population in Africa, with over 70 percent of its population under 30. Each year, approximately 600,000 graduates are churned out by Nigerian universities, yet only a fraction find meaningful employment. The paradox is jarring: a nation bursting with young, energetic minds, yet paralysed by a skill gap that widens by the hour.
“If the Nigerian youth do not pivot quickly from passive consumers to active creators, they risk becoming irrelevant in the economy of tomorrow.”
Tolu, 23, sits in the reception of an office in Lagos, scrolling through Instagram reels to calm her nerves. She is here for a job interview, one of dozens she has attended since graduating with a second-class degree in business administration nearly 14 months ago. None have led anywhere.
She is far from alone. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, youth unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria stood at a combined 15.7 percent as of the second quarter of 2024. This figure is more than just a statistic; it is a ticking time bomb.
The hard truth? Degrees no longer guarantee jobs. Skills do. And in the fourth industrial revolution, fuelled by artificial intelligence, digital literacy, and personal branding, most Nigerian youths are dangerously unarmed.
“If you refuse to learn AI, you will work for those who did. AI is reshaping every industry—agriculture, finance, logistics, education, and media. Those who understand how to use it will lead; those who don’t will follow orders for the rest of their lives.” — Jimmy Khoury
This is not alarmism. It is reality. Across the globe, AI is reshaping every industry. In Kenya, farmers use AI-driven apps like PlantVillage to detect crop diseases. In Rwanda, AI systems are powering smart health diagnostics in rural clinics. Meanwhile, in Nigeria, millions of youths scroll TikTok for hours daily, unbothered by the shifting tectonics of the global job market.
If the Nigerian youth do not pivot quickly from passive consumers to active creators, they risk becoming irrelevant in the economy of tomorrow.
The skills deficit is the new poverty
According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030, 375 million workers globally will need to switch occupations or upgrade their skills due to AI automation. Nigeria’s education system, rigid and outdated, is producing graduates trained for jobs that no longer exist.
The average Nigerian graduate lacks proficiency in basic digital tools, let alone AI, data analytics, or cloud computing, skills now deemed essential. The disconnect is staggering. While the world prepares for a future defined by intelligent machines, many Nigerian students are still being trained with chalk on blackboards.
As if that is not bleak enough, there is also the crisis of invisibility.
Personal branding: The new employment currency
In today’s digital economy, your network often matters as much as your net worth. Personal branding is not vanity; it is visibility. Recruiters now search LinkedIn, not filing cabinets. And yet, how many Nigerian youths can present a compelling digital profile? How many can articulate their skills, values, and achievements beyond an overused CV?
“If people don’t know who you are and what you stand for, you will be overlooked—regardless of your skills. In the journey of life, you need to go with people if you truly want to succeed. You may arrive faster alone, but you arrive stronger and go farther with others.” — Dr. Richard Ikiebe, Yaba School of Thought (YSoT)
Indeed, this generation is both blessed and burdened by the internet. Never before has access to learning been so abundant, yet distractions have never been so pervasive. The same smartphone that streams Netflix can also stream coding classes, AI tutorials, or global webinars. But the choice is individual and consequential.
From rants to responsibility
Of course, systemic failure cannot be denied. Nigeria’s leaders have underinvested in education and innovation. Public universities are chronically underfunded; broadband infrastructure remains patchy; and millions of secondary school students are still outside the digital ecosystem. But while we wait for institutional reforms, young people must build personal revolutions.
The future would not wait. It would not pause because Nigeria is still struggling to fix WAEC or ASUU strikes. Global labour markets are becoming more remote, more skills-driven, and less forgiving of mediocrity.
The case for urgency: A youth-led digital reboot
It is time we stopped romanticising resilience and started weaponising competence. Every Nigerian teenager today has two critical tools: a smartphone and time. Those who invest their hours learning tools like ChatGPT, Python, Canva, or data analytics, and who document their learning journeys online, will rise above their peers.
They will build digital portfolios, attract global clients, and earn in dollars, even from Ogbomosho or Onitsha. Others, who waste these years scrolling, reposting skits, and blaming the government without building capacity, will face harsher truths.
This is not motivational fluff. It is a call to survival.
What can be done?
Policy shift: Government must revamp curricula to embed coding, AI, and entrepreneurship from the secondary school level.
Corporate intervention: Nigerian firms should sponsor tech upskilling bootcamps targeted at jobless graduates.
Youth agency: Individuals must dedicate just 30 minutes daily to learning future-proof skills and building their brand while at it.
We are not short on dreams in Nigeria. We are short on preparation. The next decade belongs to the digitally literate, the self-aware, and the strategically visible.
The clock is ticking. And as the proverb goes, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
Let the youth rise, not just to protest, but to code, create, and conquer.
