Assessing the Contribution of Non-Formal Vocational Education to Youth Livelihoods in North East Nigeria

This study assesses the contribution of non-formal vocational education programmes to youth livelihood outcomes in North East Nigeria, with specific focus on Adamawa, Bauchi, and Gombe States. Non-formal vocational education, delivered through community centres, NGO training hubs, and government skills camps, reaches large numbers of youth excluded from formal education systems, particularly in conflict-affected regions. Despite significant investment in such programmes, rigorous analysis of their livelihood impact is limited. A mixed-methods design is employed, combining household-level surveys with 280 programme graduates and 120 non-participants matched by age and community characteristics. Difference-in-differences analysis compares livelihood outcomes. Qualitative focus group discussions with 6 youth groups explore livelihood pathways and barriers. Livelihood outcomes measured include income, food security, asset accumulation, and employment status. Findings are expected to reveal modest but significant livelihood gains from non-formal vocational training, particularly in community-embedded, practice-intensive programmes. The study also examines how post-training support, market linkages, and social capital moderate livelihood outcomes. Recommendations include combining vocational training with enterprise development finance, integrating market linkage support into programme design, and improving monitoring systems to track graduate livelihood trajectories over time. This study contributes to non-formal education impact research in conflict-affected North East Nigeria and provides evidence for designing more effective youth livelihood programmes. Keywords: non-formal vocational education, youth livelihoods, North East Nigeria, livelihood outcomes, skills training