The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) has advised Nigeria to focus on youth entrepreneurship, industrial skills training and strengthening of public private partnership in education for her to become a modern and industrial nation in the next seven years.

UNIDO's Deputy Representative, Raymond Tavares said that youth unemployment and underemployment are both widespread and long-term in Nigeria.

He said: "41.6 percent of young people are unemployed and many more are underemployed. This problem will worsen as the population increases. Annually, an estimated 4.5 million new entrants join, that absorbs only 10 percent.

"High youth unemployment rate has serious implications for national productivity and growth, social cohesion, political stability and national security. Tackling this challenge urgently makes economic, social, political and security sense."

He explained that since 2008, UNIDO has been in partnership with Hewlett Packard, a leading technology provider and other institutions to implement entrepreneurship prgramme like "Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs (LIFE)" across Nigeria.

He said that they are additionally working with the Federal Ministry of Education through Nigeria Education Research and Development Council to introduce entrepreneurship curriculum in Senior Secondary Schools in the country.

He said that in Africa, UNIDO has developed several initiatives in the area of investment promotion and youth entrepreneurship to address high youth unemployment rates in countries like Uganda, Angola, Mozambique and Namibia.