What do you do when you are a young adult, ready to earn a living and there are no job opportunities for you? This is the situation facing a growing number of young people in Nigeria. Recent estimates state that youth unemployment in Nigeria is more than 37%. History has also shown that young adults without job prospects are prime targets for political and religious extremism as well as crime and other risky behaviors.

What do you do when you are a young adult, ready to earn a living and there are no job opportunities for you? 
 

This is the situation facing a growing number of young people in Nigeria. Recent estimates state that youth unemployment in Nigeria is more than 37%. History has also shown that young adults without job prospects are prime targets for political and religious extremism as well as crime and other risky behaviors. 

To respond to this growing problem, World Renew and its partner, Beacon of Hope Initiative, have started a project to help 250 Nigerian young people start their own businesses. This was made possible through generous support from the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation (MCIC).

“Through a $15,000 gift from MCIC, World Renew and Beacon of Hope Initiative are empowering youth to craft their own income-earning opportunities and create their own jobs,” explained Alice Bouwma, World Renew Grants Manager. “To do this, we provide them with the training that is needed to improve skills and link them with mentors and apprenticeship opportunities.”

World Renew and Beacon of Hope Initiative are empowering youth to craft their own income-earning opportunities

Mutse is one of the young people benefitting from this program. Mutse is 24 years-old and has had a difficult life. Orphaned at a young age, Mutse was given to relatives to raise. When he contracted leprosy, however, his relatives took him to a rehabilitation hospital and abandoned him. Mutse spent most of his teen years begging on the streets as a way to survive.

Last June, Mutse was nominated by his local church to participate in World Renew’s program. He attended classes where he learned about business ethics, marketing, management,  customer service, pricing, developing a business plan and record-keeping. He was also encouraged to consider the type of business that he’d like to start.

Mutse had long had a dream to raise poultry for a living. Since he lacked any experience in this job field, he was paired with a mentor, Mr. Ma’an Garba, for three months. Mr. Garba showed Mutse how to run a poultry farm, how to manage the business-side of this venture, and how to price the hens for sale and profit.

After completing his three-month mentorship, Mutse was given a small start-up grant of about $188 Canadian dollars. He used this to buy 30 young chickens, feed, and other supplies. Once a month, Mr. Garba would visit Mutse to check on his progress and provide him with encouragement and advice.

In December, Mutse sold his mature chickens to families wanting a hen for their Christmas celebrations. He had bought the chickens for about $6 each and was able to sell them three months later for $7.50.

This year, Mutse is raising 45 more chickens which will be ready for sale in March. He is excited that for the first time in his life, he has work he can be proud of. He is also giving back.  He regularly contributes part of his profits to his weekly church offering.  He also encourages other physically challenged people in his community to stop begging and get involved in self-help ventures.

As part of the World Renew project, Mutse also joined a community group with other young business owners in his village.  These peer mentors can provide support to Mutse after the World Renew project is over. The group members also pool some of their savings in a joint account so that they can offer each other small business loans at a low interest rate for future business ventures.

“By helping young people employ themselves, we are hoping to address one of the root causes of poverty in this region – unemployment,” said Bouwma.  “The hope is that this will benefit not just the young men and women who are trained, but the community as a whole.”