Challenges of implementation of Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Agency (NAYEA) on Employment Generation

Abstract

Unemployment among youths remains a critical socio-economic challenge in Nasarawa State despite the establishment of the Nasarawa State Youth Empowerment Agency (NAYEA) as a strategic intervention for employment generation. This situation necessitates a systematic assessment of the challenges confronting the implementation of NAYEA programmes in the state. The objective of this study was to examine the institutional, financial, and operational challenges affecting the effective implementation of NAYEA, with a view to identifying gaps in policy design, implementation strategies, and beneficiary participation. The study was anchored on the Structural–Functionalism theory to explain the phenomenon under review. A mixed research design was adopted, involving the collection and analysis of both quantitative and qualitative data. Quantitative data were obtained through the administration of questionnaires, while qualitative data were sourced from secondary materials such as scholarly literature, official reports, time-series data, and other relevant written documents. The study population consisted of three thousand one hundred and twenty-five (3,125) respondents drawn from NAYEA staff members, beneficiaries, and other relevant stakeholders across nine selected local government areas in Nasarawa State, namely Lafia, Keana, Doma, Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga, Wamba, Keffi, Toto, and Karu. The sample size was determined using Yamane’s (1967) formula, yielding a sample size of 400. Out of the 400 questionnaires distributed across the nine local government areas, 387 were returned, while 13 were not returned. A purposive sampling technique was employed. The findings revealed that the effective implementation of NAYEA programmes in Nasarawa State is largely constrained by inadequate and delayed funding, alongside weak institutional and structural frameworks characterized by poor monitoring and evaluation systems, insufficient training infrastructure, and inadequate legal and regulatory support. Based on these findings, the study recommends increased and timely government funding, enhanced partnerships, robust monitoring and evaluation systems, improved training infrastructure, and strengthened legal and regulatory frameworks to ensure sustainable youth employment generation in Nasarawa State.