Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor | Journalist at Weng Global
For many Nigerian youths, the search for employment often begins with a familiar challenge: employers want experience, but young jobseekers need an opportunity to gain that experience in the first place.
Experts and international development organisations say volunteering can help bridge that gap by giving young people opportunities to develop practical skills, build professional networks and demonstrate their ability to work in real-world environments.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has repeatedly highlighted the importance of work experience and core employability skills in helping young people transition into employment. It notes that many first-time jobseekers are disadvantaged because they have limited work experience, while skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving are often developed through practical experience.
For Nigerian youths facing an increasingly competitive labour market, volunteering could therefore be more than an act of community service. When approached strategically, it can become a pathway for professional development.
Volunteering provides practical experience
One of the biggest advantages of volunteering is the opportunity to gain experience before securing a formal paid position.
A young graduate who volunteers with a media organisation, for example, may learn news gathering, writing, research, social media management or event coverage. Someone volunteering with a non-governmental organisation may gain experience in community mobilisation, project coordination, advocacy or data collection.
These experiences can help young people demonstrate that they are capable of applying knowledge outside the classroom.
The ILO says core employability skills are often acquired through work-based learning and practical experience, making exposure to real working environments particularly important for first-time jobseekers.
Volunteering can provide that exposure without requiring a young person to wait until they have secured their first permanent job.
It can strengthen communication and teamwork
Employers are not only interested in academic qualifications. They also want people who can communicate effectively, collaborate with colleagues, meet deadlines and solve problems.
Volunteering can create opportunities to develop these abilities.
A youth working on a community project may have to communicate with different groups, coordinate activities, attend meetings, prepare reports and work with people from different backgrounds.
These experiences can gradually build confidence and professionalism.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) says volunteering can influence individual skills, employability, confidence and social capital. Its 2026 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report also highlights the relationship between volunteering, skills development and employability.
Networking can open unexpected doors
Another important benefit is networking.
Many employment opportunities are discovered through professional relationships, referrals and recommendations. A young person who volunteers consistently can meet professionals, entrepreneurs, civil society leaders and other young people with similar ambitions.
Those relationships can become valuable over time.
However, networking should not be approached simply as a way to ask people for jobs. Young volunteers can instead focus on building genuine professional relationships by being reliable, contributing to projects and demonstrating a willingness to learn.
The UNV-ILO research on youth volunteering and employment identifies the development of professional contacts as one of the factors that can help young people during the transition from education into work.
Volunteering can improve a CV
For a graduate with limited employment history, an empty CV can make the job search more difficult.
Relevant volunteer experience can help fill that gap.
Instead of simply writing “Volunteer” on a CV, young people should document what they actually accomplished.
For example, a volunteer could state that they helped organise a community outreach programme, managed social media content, assisted with research, coordinated participants or supported fundraising activities.
The emphasis should be on skills, responsibilities and measurable results.
This makes volunteer experience easier for an employer to understand and evaluate.
Nigeria already has a strong culture of youth service
Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) provides an important example of how structured service can expose young people to work and national development.
According to the NYSC, its objectives include developing discipline, encouraging self-reliance, promoting skills for self-employment and exposing young Nigerians to different communities and working environments. The scheme also encourages corps members to seek employment after their service year.
In June 2026, the Federal Executive Council approved reforms aimed at repositioning NYSC as a more skills-driven and productivity-focused institution, with stronger emphasis on areas including leadership, entrepreneurship and digital skills.
This reinforces a broader lesson: service and practical experience can be important components of preparing young people for employment.
Volunteering can build confidence
Long periods of unemployment can affect a young person’s confidence.
Volunteering gives youths an opportunity to remain active, contribute to society and continue learning while searching for paid employment.
Completing tasks, receiving feedback and working alongside experienced people can gradually increase confidence.
UNV research has identified volunteering’s potential to strengthen self-esteem, particularly among unemployed young people, while also helping participants develop skills that can be communicated to employers.
But not every volunteer opportunity is equally valuable
Young people should also be careful about the opportunities they accept.
Volunteering should provide meaningful learning, responsibility or community impact. A position where a volunteer performs repetitive tasks without learning anything may have limited professional value.
The UNV-ILO analysis recommends volunteer programmes that develop lasting skills, competencies and professional contacts.
Youths should therefore ask questions before accepting an opportunity.
What will I learn? Who will I work with? Will I receive supervision? Can I take responsibility for projects? Will I receive a reference or certificate? Can I build a portfolio from the experience?
These questions can help young people distinguish between meaningful volunteering and opportunities that simply consume their time.
How youths can turn volunteering into a career advantage
Young Nigerians can maximise the value of volunteering by treating each opportunity professionally.
They should arrive on time, meet deadlines, communicate respectfully and take responsibility for assigned tasks.
They should also maintain records of projects they contribute to. A portfolio containing articles, designs, reports, photographs, campaigns, research work or other completed projects can provide tangible evidence of their abilities.
Young people should also update their CVs and professional profiles as they gain new experience.
The National Directorate of Employment provides another example of the value of practical workplace exposure. Its Graduate Attachment Programme places eligible unemployed graduates with corporate organisations for three to six months to develop specific skills and practical experience, with the aim of improving employability.
A pathway, not a replacement for paid work
Volunteering should not be presented as a substitute for decent employment.
Young people need opportunities for fair wages, career progression and sustainable livelihoods. However, volunteering can serve as one bridge between education and the workplace, particularly for people who have not yet accumulated professional experience.
The ILO has stressed that improving young people’s employability requires stronger links between education, training and the labour market, including work-based learning and career guidance.
For Nigerian youths, volunteering can therefore become a strategic investment in the future.
The key is to volunteer with purpose: learn a skill, solve a problem, build relationships, document achievements and demonstrate reliability.
In a competitive job market, a young person who combines academic qualifications with practical experience, strong interpersonal skills and a record of service may have an important advantage over someone whose CV contains qualifications alone.
Volunteering may not guarantee a job, but when approached deliberately, it can help Nigerian youths build the skills, confidence, experience and networks needed to compete more effectively in the workplace.
Sources
- International Labour Organization (ILO) — Skills for Youth Employment.
- United Nations Volunteers (UNV) — State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2026.
- UNV/ILO — Youth volunteering and the transition to employment.
- National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) — Objectives of the Scheme.
- Nigeria Federal Ministry of Youth Development — 2026 NYSC reforms.
- National Directorate of Employment — Graduate Attachment Programme.
