Development Context · 5 min read
Responding to Nigeria's Development Challenge
Facing shrinking Official Development Assistance and high youth unemployment, LEADS Foundation implements community-driven active labour market measures in Enugu State.
Nigeria's development landscape has been increasingly strained by global economic shifts and geopolitical conflicts that have significantly curtailed Official Development Assistance (ODA) flows from traditional international partners. Concurrently, regional insecurity and macroeconomic headwinds have constrained multinational investment, deepening vulnerability among youth and women.
The Regional Reality in Enugu State
In Enugu State, where 74% of the 7.6 million residents are young people, the 2020 NBS Multidimensional Poverty Report recorded an unemployment rate of 31.6% and an underemployment rate of 21.3%. These statistics underscore why conventional, passive aid is insufficient. What is needed is intentional, demand-driven capacity building.
Active Labour Market Measures (ALMM) in Practice
LEADS Foundation addresses this bottleneck through Community-Driven Development (CDD) and Active Labour Market Measures. By linking technical training directly to key state economic sectors—agriculture, trade, hospitality, services, healthcare, and education—we equip participants with immediately marketable capabilities and sustainable enterprise skills.