Nigeria’s population is now above 200 million people, with an estimated 80 million made up of youth, defined as individuals between 15 and 34 years of age, representing approximately 45 percent of the total population of the country. According to the data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the National Population Commission (NPopC), in 2006 Rivers State had a population of 5,198,716. Taking a growth rate of 3.5%, Rivers State, the 6th most populated state in Nigeria, has a projected 2020 population of 8,280,753, with approximately half of that under the age of 35 years old. Available data from the National Bureau of Statistics (2019) show that Rivers State (of which Ogoniland forms 16% of the total population) recorded the second-highest unemployment rate of 36.4 percent and the State with the highest unemployed population with a total number of 1,673,991, as well as attaining the State with the largest labor force population in the southern zone of Nigeria. 

The Trust’s attempt to address the growing unemployment challenge is by building the next generation of active and responsible civil society practitioners in Ogoniland by equipping them with necessary 21st-century skills for the future. In this pursuit, the Ogoni NextGen Internship program offers 3 – 12 months’ paid internship to young Ogonis at the start of their professional careers who are interested in one of the Trust’s focus areas and who desire to have a career in the development sector. With a focus on building the next generation of responsible and active civil society actors, the internship program has at its core the following components: research and report writing, grant management, and communication. The Trust has successfully had two classes of the internship program, graduating 6 interns, of whom 4 are now gainfully employed full-time at reputable businesses and organizations in Rivers State.