YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA

NWOGU, FRED and Covenant University, Theses (2024) YOUTH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION IN NIGERIA. ["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined] thesis, Covenant University.

PDF Download (192kB)

Abstract

Youth participation in the labour force is essential for continued economic development. Ni-gerian youths face challenges in transitioning fully to the labour force, and this has led to lim-ited progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8, promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, as of 2023. Entrepreneurship training programmes are offered to youth in Nigeria to improve their participation in the labour force, but has the strategy translated to business own-ership and gainful employment? The study assessed the skills and entrepreneurship interven-tions to better understand Nigeria's youth labour force participation (LFP). It gave insights into how LFP can be improved to increase the country's demographic dividend. The study adopted both quantitative and qualitative research designs. A structured questionnaire was administered in the quantitative segment to obtain information from 2,396 male and female youth aged 15-35 following a multistage sampling procedure. The qualitative component featured 12 key in-formant interviews and 12 focus group discussions. Quantitative data were analysed using uni-variate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression statistical techniques using IBM SPSS 25. Qualitative data analysis was done mainly using content analysis. Findings showed that age had a direct positive effect on LFP (OR=2.16; CI=1.49, 3.13). Owning a business venture is enhanced by the youth's entrepreneurial family background (OR=1.35; CI=1.03, 1.75). Unfore-seen situations like the cash crunch affected youth entrepreneurs adversely. Participation in skills/entrepreneurship development programmes has an indirect relationship with LFP (OR=1.54; CI=1.51, 2.05). Exposure to entrepreneurship information to skills/entrepreneurship development programmes is a critical success factor for LFP. Youth who knew about the re-sources available in their environment desired future startup businesses (OR=1.63; CI=1.29, 2.07). Successful youth-owned business ventures were those with knowledge of organising and running a business (OR=1.71; CI=1.14, 2.57). Results further show that acquiring skills/entre-preneurial abilities is necessary to own a business (OR=1.52; CI=1.08, 2.14) but insufficient to grow a successful venture and create the employment needed to impact the youth labour force. The study recommends that the federal government of Nigeria should support setting up eco-systems where the benefits of skills/entrepreneurship will be disseminated. The government should engage youth entrepreneurs before developing policies drastically affecting their businesses, such as the cash withdrawal limits and currency change policies suddenly imposed by the Central Bank of Nigeria. The government and training institutions should set up functional hubs/ecosystems/garages to increase LFP. Such center should give seed funds for innovations and startups, and those at the scale-up stage should be supported with grants. Existing youth businesses that require financing should attract concessionary rates on loans and working cap-ital.

Item Type:	Thesis (["eprint_fieldopt_thesis_type_phd" not defined])
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Demographic dividend, entrepreneurship, labour force participation, skills, youth.
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HC Economic History and Conditions H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Divisions:	Faculty of Law, Arts and Social Sciences > School of Management
Depositing User:	nwokealisi
Date Deposited:	25 Sep 2024 14:09
Last Modified:	25 Sep 2024 14:09
URI:	http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/id/eprint/18460

Actions (login required)

View Item