Development of Adolescents’ Competencies and Life Skills: Do Age Gender and Ethnicity have any Influence?

Developmental competencies of adolescents involve the ability to navigate the social , emotional, cognitive and behavioural tasks characteristic of their age group while focusing on their strengths, resources and potentials and which are needed for them to become productive and contributing adult members of their communities and society.

Life Skills are defined as “abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable individuals to deal effectively with demands and challenges of everyday life” (WHO, 1997); and “psychosocial and interpersonal skills that help people make informed decisions, communicate effectively and develop coping and self-management skills needed for a healthy and productive life” (UNICEF, 2000). It is generally assumed that Life skills are acquired during the period of individual growth and development and such acquisition and its proficiency is influenced by the cultural norms and socialisation inputs which inform the skills that are emphasized and who acquire them. Differential exposure to and emphasis on life skill acquisition may affect proficiency in some of the life skills acquired by Nigerian adolescents across age, gender and ethnic groups. In evaluating life skills proficiency of adolescents, 580 adolescents consisting of 280 males and 300 females aged between 10 and 19 years selected from some junior and senior secondary schools in Lagos responded to life skill inventories that include communication, problem solving, emotional interaction, self-awareness and empathy, using cross-sectional survey method, and participants that volunteered. Emerging results suggest higher skill levels in self-awareness, communication, and interpersonal communication for females; empathy and problem solving for males. Yoruba ethnic group reported highest skill levels in communication and problem solving; and Hausa in self-awareness, empathy and interpersonal communication. Results for age differences are not consistent.