Youths must become active drivers of development – JAN

The Acting Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Olaolu Akogun, has emphasised the need to reposition young people from being beneficiaries of development to becoming active drivers of it. Speaking at the KEFFESO-hosted Community Development Trust stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, recently,  Akogun noted that the future of sustainable development lies not in […]

The Acting Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), Olaolu Akogun, has emphasised the need to reposition young people from being beneficiaries of development to becoming active drivers of it.

Speaking at the KEFFESO-hosted Community Development Trust stakeholders’ meeting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, recently,  Akogun noted that the future of sustainable development lies not in doing more for young people, but in having them as contributors to a system being built. 

Referencing Nigeria’s demographic realities, he noted that “With over 60 per cent of the population under 25 and a median age of 18, young people remain central to shaping the country’s future and should no longer be treated as passive recipients within development conversations,”

Akogun explained that meaningful impact requires a shift from inclusion to co-creation, where young people are actively engaged in identifying challenges, designing solutions, and implementing ideas that directly affect their communities. He added that adopting human-centered design approaches ensures interventions are more relevant, scalable, and responsive to real societal needs.

The Acting Executive Director further highlighted that while many youth-focused initiatives emphasize technical and vocational skills, there remains a critical gap in entrepreneurial thinking, financial literacy, and market understanding.

According to him, these competencies are essential for helping young people build sustainable ventures and achieve long-term economic resilience.

He noted that at JAN Nigeria, this approach is implemented through experiential learning models such as the Company Program, where students gain practical exposure by building and managing real enterprises.

“Through these experiences, participants develop skills in product development, marketing, project management, financial management, and leadership while learning directly from market realities,” he said

He stressed that structured platforms such as ideathons, provide safe spaces for participants to identify community problems, develop practical solutions, and pitch ideas capable of attracting support or investment.