15 year old kids now classified as youths – FG

The Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has released a new age classification in Nigeria.

At the launch of the Revised National Youth Policy, 2019 which took place in Akure, Ondo State on May 24th, the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, in a foreword presented at the launch, disclosed that the age bracket for the classification of youth in Nigeria has been reviewed downward from 18 – 35 years to 15 – 29 years.

Dalung in his foreword, stated that the age classification had to be reviewed downward so that every federal government intervention programmes designed for youths will get to the youths themselves and not adults masquerading as youth.

According to the Minimum Age Convention (1973), the general minimum age for admission to employment or work in Nigeria is 15 years. The United Nations defines ‘youth’ as persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years.