By Livina Oluchi Maduabuchi
Nigeria stands at a demographic crossroads. With over 70 million young people aged 15–35 — nearly 35% of our population — we possess a potential demographic dividend that could propel us into the ranks of the world’s leading economies. Yet, this promise is perilously close to becoming a demographic disaster. Youth unemployment stands at 42.5%, with underemployment adding another 20% (National Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Millions of young Nigerians are trapped in a cycle of unemployment and underemployment, excluded from the digital economy by a chasm of inadequate skills and unequal access to quality education.
This stark reality brought recent remarks encouraging youths to embrace small-scale trading—selling akara, roasted corn, and kuli-kuli—into sharp focus. The ensuing national conversation exposed a deep chasm in perspective. While some rightly highlighted the dignity of honest labour, others saw a tone-deaf response to the grinding economic pressures facing our youth.
Yet, at the Springs of Good-Health Initiative (SOGHI), we see these views not as opposing forces, but as complementary halves of a larger, more complex truth.
There is profound dignity in selling akara. It is not a fallback; it is a cornerstone. These micro-enterprises are the lifeblood of our local economy, sustaining families and building futures from the ground up. For this reason, we must never demean these efforts, but rather celebrate and support them with access to capital, financial literacy, and business management skills.
