A study on decent work conducted by the Network of Youth for Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (NGYouthSDGs), with support from the Unifor Social Justice Fund, has revealed that seven out of 10 Nigerian youths have experienced one form of workplace abuse or another.
The abuses, according to the report, range from unpaid wages and unsafe working conditions to harassment. Many victims, the study noted, remain silent out of fear of losing their jobs and due to deep mistrust in existing protection systems.
The research, carried out between October and November 2025, surveyed 2,149 young Nigerians aged 15 to 35 across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. It paints a grim picture of widespread exploitation, weak labour protections and poor enforcement of workplace rights.
According to the report, 71 percent of respondents said they had experienced workplace violations, while only 29 percent reported none.
An overwhelming 73.8 percent of the youths were trapped in informal or mixed employment arrangements with no written contracts or social protection, leaving them highly vulnerable to abuse.
The study further showed that 57.5 percent of the youths said they were aware that workplace rights exist, but only 40 percent knew where to report violations. Meanwhile, just 30 percent said they trusted government policies to adequately protect youth employment rights.
Only 43 percent of respondents said they had received any training on workplace rights.
“We cannot design labour policies without listening to young people,” Joshua Alade, founder of NGYouthSDGs, said in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.
He added: “This study reveals a stark reality: Nigerian youths know their rights exist, but most have no idea how to enforce them. The result is normalised exploitation. Awareness alone isn’t protection; we need action.”
According to him, the Youth Participatory Research on Decent Work in Nigeria project builds on NGYouthSDGs’ long-standing work on youth employment, labour rights and policy engagement, including previous collaboration with the International Labour Organisation on the Work Wise Youth Guide and youth contributions to the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (2021–2024).
He said NGYouthSDGs plans to organise a series of skills-building and labour rights workshops between February and May 2026, alongside stakeholder dialogues with labour unions, employers, policymakers and international development partners.
