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Objectives DFID commissioned this Business Environment Reform Facility (BERF) research in Kenya, Nigeria and Sierra Leone to understand better the barriers to creating formal employment opportunities and the barriers to young people’s access to formal employment opportunities. The aim is to inform interventions that could benefit young people and others who may be disadvantaged in the formal labour market. The study focused on formal and informal labour market rigidities and policies that help or hinder formal job creation and access to formal employment opportunities by young people and others.

Methodology (Section 1) The research was undertaken through a review of research and policy literature; interviews with key stakeholders; a face-to-face survey of young people in Nairobi, Lagos and Freetown; and a social media survey of young people to reach a wider demographic of young people in the three countries. The field research draws on information gathered from nearly 3000 young people (Table S1), of which 44% are in Kenya, 38% in Nigeria and 18% in Sierra Leone. The study provide an analysis of labour markets in the three study countries, and addresses six particular Research Questions (RQs)(Section 1.2).