Vanessa Phala, the ILO Country Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, made this announcement during the World Youth Skills Day event held in Abuja on Friday.

Under the theme “Empowering Youth for a Sustainable Future: Building Skills for Tomorrow,” Phala highlighted the significant role played by the digital economy in shaping Nigeria’s industrial sector and creating numerous opportunities.

Acknowledging Nigeria’s youthful population, Phala emphasized the importance of equipping young people with the necessary skills to thrive in the digital world.

She stated, “Today, we gather to celebrate the remarkable potential of our young people and to emphasize the critical role of skills development in preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century.”

Recognizing the need for investment in Nigeria’s youth, Phala stressed the importance of providing them with the right skills and creating an enabling environment that nurtures their talents.

Highlighting the ILO’s support for the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Phala mentioned the collaborative efforts to develop the Nigerian Youth Development Action Plan, with a focus on entrepreneurship and other key areas.

To fully leverage the potential of the digital era, Phala emphasized the importance of not only providing technological training but also fostering critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability skills among young people.

She further pledged the ILO’s commitment to assisting the government in its digital transformation agenda, supporting the creation of over two million jobs in the digital economy.

In his opening address, George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, emphasized the need to harness the potential of young people as catalysts for transformative change, particularly in the green, digital, and creative sectors.

Akume underscored the collaborative efforts aimed at bridging the skills gap and empowering Nigerian youths, highlighting the importance of addressing their challenges and utilizing their potential for significant societal transformation.

This was according to the first joint estimates from the World Health Organization, WHO, and International Labour Organization, ILO.

According to the WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of the Work-related Burden of Disease and Injury, 2000-2016: Global Monitoring Report, the majority of work-related deaths were due to respiratory and cardiovascular disease.

Non-communicable diseases accounted for 81 per cent of the deaths. The greatest causes of deaths were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (450,000 deaths); stroke (400,000 deaths) and ischaemic heart disease (350,000 deaths). Occupational injuries caused 19 per cent of deaths (360,000 deaths).

The study considers 19 occupational risk factors, including exposure to long working hours and workplace exposure to air pollution, asthmagens, carcinogens, ergonomic risk factors, and noise. The key risk was exposure to long working hours – linked to approximately 750,000 deaths. Workplace exposure to air pollution (particulate matter, gases and fumes) was responsible for 450,000 deaths.

According to WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,    “It’s shocking to see so many people literally being killed by their jobs. Our report is a wake-up call to countries and businesses to improve and protect the health and safety of workers by honouring their commitments to provide universal coverage of occupational health and safety services.”

Also, commenting, ILO Director-General,    Guy Ryder said “These estimates provide important information on the work-related burden of disease, and this information can help to shape policies and practices to create healthier and safer workplaces,.”

“Governments, employers and workers can all take actions to reduce exposure to risk factors at the workplace. Risk factors can also be reduced or eliminated through changes in work patterns and systems. As a last resort personal protective equipment can also help to protect workers whose jobs mean they cannot avoid exposure.”