By Hassan Zaggi
The Federal Government has formally launched a scheme christened- Generational Unlimited (Gen U) with the aim of providing 20 million Nigerians with digital skills, link them to enterpreneural and other job opportunities.
The scheme is expected to widen education, training and employment opportunities of youths from the ages of 10-24 years.
The scheme will also assist Nigerian youth realise their potentials.
While launching the Scheme in Abuja, Monday, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, disclosed that Generation Unlimited is an initiative of the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) which was launched in September 2018, in collaboration with over 200 partners.
He further noted that the scheme was designed to link over 1 billion young people with innovations and programmes in 40 countries across six continents.
According to the Vice President, “this program is important because it promises to provide 20 million Nigerians with digital skills, link them to entrepreneurial and other job opportunities and assist them in realizing their full potential.
“Over the next couple of years, we will provide digital learning, employment, entrepreneurship and engagement for and with 20 million young Nigerians.
“This process is not only significant for our socio-economic development as a nation in the coming years but also provides a learning asset for developing future job growth enabling programmes.
“Nigeria has one of the world’s largest young populations. And it bears repeating that our country’s youth are the nation’s present and indeed its future. The cost of failing to invest in them is quite simply, unimaginable.
“So, we are excited to be a part of the ambitious goal of reaching young Nigerians with this opportunity.
“The work is massive, and we know we cannot achieve this objective without strong partnerships.
“And so, the Presidency, the relevant Ministries and State Governments will be collaborating with Generation Unlimited Nigeria, the private sector, the international community and our young people themselves to make this a reality.”
Speaking on the efforts of the federal government to provide job opportunities to the teeming Nigerian youths, the Vice President said: “In line with its job creation agenda, the federal government has over the past few months engaged multilateral agencies and the private sector in creating special opportunities for young Nigerians.
“Besides, the opportunities created through the ongoing Economic Sustainability Plan, only last month, the administration in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP and other private sector partners announced a 20,000 yearly graduate job fellowship called the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme, NJFP aimed at equipping young Nigerians with skills and experience required for the workplace.”
Speaking, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Tony Elumelu Foundation and the Co-Chair of GenU Nigerian Steering Committee, Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, said that GenU Nigeria is about connectivity and bringing together government, private sector, international development partners and the youth to create a Nigeria where the youths are engaged as productive members of the society leveraging on digital technology.
She explained that: “The aim is to ensure that young Nigerians have access to training and skills acquisition that will make them employable and also connect them to jobs.
“UNICEF working with partners has put in place an incisive digital protocol and landscape to ensure that Gen U Nigeria reaches 20 million Nigerian youths with skills training, education, employment, Entrepreneurship and empowerment by 2030.”
