There are certain stages in life and each unique step requires a corresponding unique actions.

The only stage suitable to teach a language to an individual is the child stage. There are other actions which is only proper to teach an individual at the child stage. That's why you can't rule any stage off an individual - it's like the metamorphosis of organisms we were taught back in school; no step missing, just same process for all same specie.



Above the child stage is the Youth stage and the Adult stage.
Of all these stages, the Youth stage is the most buzzing stage of an individual existence. This is the stage an individual gets to know who he/she really is and where his/her weakness and strength lies.

From the childhood stage, there's development of character, consciousness and most importantly strength. The youthful stage of an individual is that stage he/she determines who to be and what to become in the future. Decisions made at this stage might either floor him down or move him forward. That's why the youth might not be able to actualize who he is independently on his own.


A Nigerian(and african) youth is much different from ones from European nations. The perils and plenty-to-be-served distractions are different and might remain different. For an ordinary European youth, the process of utilizing fully his/her potetial is properly set and ordered for him/her. Whatsoever talent an individual possess is carefully cropped for his utmost benefit. When he turns youth eventually, it's left for him to effect them himself.


This is clearly different from a Nigerian case. You strive to follow your skill and endownment in Nigeria by probably luck and a small dose of determination. This doesn't mean that there aren't structures to cater for this, it's because they are all severed or rotten. The familiar social vices like corruption and over-population account for it.


Being an important stage in any country, despite the thumps down, responsible agencies still need to do the needful - roll out schemes to build the youths up.

Why wouldn't they be made? When analytics shows Nigeria is performing badly in most spheres of endeavour( in comparison to other country). Nigeria is widely known to be the poverty capital of the world and much more, statistics has it that the population of Nigeria is ever increasing.

When compared to the rate at which children are being given birth to, the economic growth can't stand such. The economy is recently recuperating from recession and this signals the need for youth activeness in National growth.


There are many organised schemes that encourages youths to take charge of their lives through different emowerment projects. Some are initiated by the government through it's agencies while others are done by non-governmental organisations. There are others made by firms to cater for the losses in a particular area. Example of such is the ones initiated by oil firms in the Niger delta region. Each of these platforms has it's unique ways of empowerment and they are outlined below:



 


 

Ways Nigerian youths are empowered

1. Fostering skill acquisition.
2. Community projects and social action
3. Youth Employment Program
4. Philanthropy 
5. Youth research
6. Entrepreneurship
7. Engaging youth as volunteers 

There are so many civil engagement functions of youth empowerment scheme. They would all be listed as the various schemes would be detailed one after the other.

There are schemes that basically promotes team work among youths. There are ones that are just a personal initiative manned by philanthropists in the country to better the odds of the youths. There are also others which are adult - youth organised schemes.

List of youth empowerment schemes in Nigeria

Npower

This is a federal government initiated empowerment scheme. This program was brought so as to reduce the level of inactivity of youth across the country.

The scheme has boasted on massive deployment of 500,000 trained graduates. They were trained for the less than 1 year on skills which would better their image in the society. They are made to be enterpreneurs after their training duration although a business start-up fee for trainees isn't confirmed.


The program isn't effective recently as it was initiated to be. There are cases of delay in payment of stipends and other delay which all boils down to non-disbursement of funds. You can follow up all updates of the empowerment scheme here.

Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin)

This is a collaborative empowerment program between the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria in collaboration, the Ministry of Communication Technology and Ministry of Youth Development.


It's main purpose is to encourage and spur up the innovative spirit of young enterpreneurs. Youwin is program in colaboration with the federal government to aid innovative ways of creating jobs as well as youths development.

New Era Foundation

 This is an individual funded empowerment scheme by Senator Oluremi Tinubu. The organization was incorporated on the 17th of January, 2000 with the Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja.


According the organization, when children are supported and encouraged by their families, the do better in their life and roles in the society. They empower youths through creating youth development centres, organising mental and physical contests.

Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative (YEDI)

This youth initiative kicked off in 2011 and aims to edify youths the ways possible. At a point, one of it's foremost aim was to inspire youths in such a way as to reduce the rates of HIV and stigma in the youthful population.


Another of it's program is the Grassroot Soccer West Africa program. More than 60,000 graduates were developed in Lagos, Ogun and Akwa Ibom state. The program was piloted by YEDI’s international NGO partner, Grassroot Soccer for Nigeria.

Youth Empowering People (YEP)

This a regional empowerment scheme. It is initiated help youths of the Niger Delta region towards sustainability and wealth creation. It is sponsored by oil firms and state governments.


The scheme accords youth in the region the ability to reduce the rate of poverty and unemployment currently facing the region and country in whole. Educational grants and funds are also given.

Young Entrepreneurs of Nigeria (YEN)

This is a leadership development sheme offering extensive leadership training and programs to youths. Through teamwork and community placement, the organisation hopes to develop the youths for future leadership.

There's also a valuable 'on the field' experience for trainees.

African Youth Empowerment Nigeria (AYEN)

This empowerment program offers financial and educational aid to youths. Seminars and youth- inclined activities are made to prepare the youths for National building.

Youth Initiative for Sustainable Agriculture in Nigeria (YISA)

The agricultural sector of the country is stigmatised as belonging for the poor. There are less investments by youths to this sector and that called for correction.

The program aims to encourage, educate, inspire, train and support young people to take up agriculture as an enterprise worthy of turning out huge amount of revenue. Youths interested in agriculture (graduates and non-graduates) are free join the program.

Youth Entrepreneur Support Program (YES-P)

The YES program focuses at equipping youths with the proper skills and knowledge to be self employed. Graduates with proven leadership skills between the ages of 18 and 35 years are requested to apply for it. youths who have gotten a minimum educational qualification of Ordinary National Diploma (OND) and who are filled with innovative ideas are encouraged to appy for the program.


Applicants are expected to register online for this program and provide accurate answers to the questions involved. The trainings are done in class and this takes place on a two year basis at selected places across the six geo political zones of Nigeria.

The final selection of candidates that will qualify for funding will be announced later on.



Other programs worthy of mention include:

→ Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS)
→ Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P)
→ Youth For Technology Foundation
→ LEAP Africa