TOWARDS EMPOWERING NIGERIAN YOUTHS FOR SELF-RELIANCE AND SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: COUNSELLING PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION STRATEGIES

Abstract

Attempt was made in this paper to understand the pragmatic and useable counselling psychological strategies which could be employed to empower the youths in Nigeria. This is to ginger and fast-track their yearnings and aspirations for self-reliance, which could translate into sustainable national development. Demographically, the youths in Nigeria constitute a significant proportion of the entire population of the Nigerian society. For their strategic position in national development they are perceived as the pillars and vanguards for accelerated development, as they possess much energy, talents and potentialities to really contribute greatly to self and national development. As identifiable factors stand their ways, such as poverty, ignorance, lack of support and good environment, these tend to influence their interest, attitude and risk-taking behaviours. With well articulated and pragmatic counselling strategies such as behavior modification, rational emotive and adjustive and life skills, among others, they could be harnessed for self-employability skills to improve and sustain selves, as well as meaningfully contribute to sustainable national development in Nigeria. Recommendations are therefore provided such as counsellors’ involvement in youth education, reorientation through individual and group counseling, packages and need for the establishment of comprehensive youth-friendly centres, educational excursions and discussions for exploring youths, talents and potentialities. Functional education, entrepreneurship education, employability skills, which are geared towards unveiling the youth potentialities and talents, hence making them self employed and self-reliant that could propel national development in Nigeria.