The Youth Vulnerability and Exclusion

The Youth Vulnerability and Exclusion (YOVEX) study
was sponsored by the Department for International
Development (DFID) in order to (1) stimulate debate on
the security and development challenge posed by the
demographic transition currently under way in West
Africa; and (2) generate policy recommendations geared
to the reduction of youth vulnerability and exclusion.
Towards these ends, the study interrogated the socioeconomic,
political and cultural plight of young people in
selected West African countries and assessed the extent
to which ongoing processes, initiatives and services meet
the needs and aspirations of young people. The YOVEX
study’s pragmatic research approach mixed qualitative
and quantitative methods, gave voice to young people,
and led to practical policy recommendations.
Seven case studies were generated in countries selected
to encompass both Anglophone and Francophone countries,
including those recovering from armed conflicts
and those that had not experienced intra-state warfare,
but displayed state fragility characteristics (Ghana, Guinea,
Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Sierra Leone). The case
studies confirmed the critical importance of local context
for understanding the situation of youth, but also pointed
towards common lessons relevant to the future design of
youth programmes in West Africa.