By Stella Odueme
The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande has commended the launch of the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OSNI) by Vice President Kashim Shettima, adding that it would offer a great boost to the ongoing efforts to curb youth unemployment in the country through the soon-to-be launched Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA).
Olawande, who gave the commendation on Wednesday in Abuja, said
the Nigerian Youth Academy, initiated by his ministry is aimed at training youths in market driven skills that will empower them to contribute significantly to the economic development of the country.
He described the initiative as another huge step in the fight against youth unemployment, saying that OTNI would now offer a more extensive platform for the utilization of the skills and talents that the NIYA would spring.
“What we are planning to do with the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYa) is to provide free training in all high-demand skill areas, and to also make the platform a meeting point for all the youths we train and employers who wish to engage their services. OTNI has just expanded the opportunities we hope to deliver with NiYA, ” he noted.
Olawande, who said many youths in Nigeria would soon have no excuse to remain idle, emphasized that OTNI’s digital platform, WorkNation, with the objective of helping partners find, train and deploy talents, would greatly expand the reach and impact of NIYA.
“Collaboration is key in government business. So, I’m already envisaging a collaboration in which WorkNation serves as a sort of off taker for some of the youths we train in NiYA thereby providing more extensive job openings beyond the academy,” the minister maintained.
Performing the launch in Gombe on Monday, the Vice President noted that the OTNI is a strategic initiative to redirect the talents and skills that abound in the country and to deliver millions of job opportunities.
“Today, we are not just presenting to you the Outsource to Nigeria Initiative (OTNI) with the honourable aim of taking over the world; we present to you a lens to see the needs of the world, a bridge to interact with the world, and a vehicle to reach the world from the comfort of your offices and homes in Nigeria,” the Vice President had said.
