Nigeria needs to create about 25 million jobs over the next 10 years if it is to offer work to new entrants and cut halve the current unemployment rate in the country, according to a report presented yesterday.

The Next Generation report, which was put together by the British council, said by 2030 Nigeria will be one of the few countries in the world that has young workers in plentiful supply.

The report also said that Nigeria risks a "demographic disaster" if its teeming youth, which will be the country's most valuable resource in the 21st century, not oil, is the economy is not expanded to create jobs for them.

Presenting the key findings and recommendations of the report, Director General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Frank Nweke Jnr, said demographic factors are steadily elevating Nigeria's risk of conflict, adding that if the country fails to respond appropriately over the next 10 years, it could face a demographic disaster.

The report said Nigeria stands ready to collect substantial demographic dividends if it continues with recent positive economic growth and improve health standard.

It said if Nigeria harnesses a growing workforce, the country will be as much three times higher by 2030 and over 30 million people will be lifted out of poverty.

"In the worst case, Nigeria will see growing numbers of restless young people frustrated by lack of opportunity, increased competition for jobs, land, natural resources and political patronage. Cities that are increasingly unable to cope with the pressures placed on them, ethnic and religious conflict and radicalization and political system discredited by its failure to improve lives," the report said.

The report said Nigeria is currently in a poor position to maximize the economic opportunities created by its demographics, adding that shortage of jobs is a serious challenge, with young Nigerians taking many years to become productive contributors to the society.