By Stella Odueme
The Federal Government has said that it will empower one million young people with essential skills for employment and entrepreneurship through the National Youth Skills Programme (NYSP) within its first year of operation.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, stated this on Tuesday during the commemoration of the 2024 World Youth Skills Day celebration with the theme; “Youth Skills for Peace and Development,” and its sub-theme, “Upskilling Youth for Peace, Skill up Youth for Development” at the National Stadium in Abuja.
The Minister while launching the National Sewing Championship (NSC)/Talent Hunt targeting youths from ages 12 to 22 years across Nigeria for training and empowerment and expressed the ministry’s commitment to supporting the NSC24.
The Minister stressed the importance of skill acquisition, aligning with this year’s theme, “
She underscored the ministry’s commitment to supporting job creation and reducing unemployment.
She said that the National Youth Skills Programme will soon be inaugurated, and that it will target one million beneficiaries in its first year.
She disclosed an increase in the Youth Investment Fund from N72 billion to N110 billion, saying that it will enhance the ministry’s projects aimed at empowering young Nigerians.
She therefore called the youths to leverage this investment to improve their talents and skills.
She said that these efforts are aimed at motivating the youth to shun negative tendencies and embrace positive development pathways.
According to her, the ministry had streamlined processes to ensure easier access to funds for young entrepreneurs.
Also, while speaking at the event, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Engr. Ayodele Olawande, highlighted the ministry’s plans to incorporate both formal and informal youth into its development programmes and initiatives.
The Minister expressed plans to empower and train seven million youth within the next two years through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), with an initial test run involving 60,000 beneficiaries.
According to him, the importance of job fairs signals a shift from traditional trade fairs to events focused on promoting skill acquisition.
The Minister also said his ministry will partner local governments to ensure each area produces and manufactures local products from indigenous raw materials gotten within their areas.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth, Mr. Adaramodu Adeyemi, applauded the ministry’s initiatives, and expressed readiness to support legislative instrument that would support Nigerian youth young people as they constitute 60 per cent of Nigeria’s population.
Guest speaker Mr. Kashim Ali, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers, stressed the significance of skill acquisition for both young and older Nigerians.
The Coordinator of the 2024 Sewing Championship and Executive Director of the Ladi Memorial Foundation, Mrs. Rosemary Ojochenemi Osikoye, highlighted the foundation’s pivotal role in creating a holistic skilling ecosystem to enhance employability and foster a culture of entrepreneurship among young Nigerians.
“Over the years, Ladi Memorial Foundation has significantly expanded its reach and effectiveness. Nigeria has a lot of youthful talents within the schools, and they don’t have a platform to express themselves. We have initiated a sewing championship competition. This competition allows everyone within Nigeria to showcase their talents, ” she said.
The programme is expecting participation from over 40,000 youths across the nation. “In Kano, we are told that the population is expected to be about 1,000 or more. Even for FCT, multiply 1,000 by 36 states, it means that with the right support, we should expect about 40,000 youth participation in the NSC24,” she said.
Osikoye called on all eligible contestants to register for the Talent Hunt.
Some of the participants commended the ministry for the initiatives.
