The Federal Government has inaugurated a new national skills programme aimed at connecting 20 million young Nigerians to jobs, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by 2030.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima, at the inaugural board meeting of Generation Unlimited Nigeria, GenU 9JA, Wednesday, disclosed that at least 60 per cent of the programme’s beneficiaries would be women.
Shettima, who serves as Chairman of the reactivated GenU Board, described Nigeria’s youthful population as the nation’s “superpower” and a unique advantage in a rapidly ageing world.
“With more than 60 percent of our population below the age of 25, we cannot afford to squander this asset.
“An advantage unrealised is merely potential wasted. We must refine it, invest in it, and channel it towards productive destinies,” he said.
The Vice-President warned that Nigeria’s national skills ecosystem faced a “trilemma,” too many young people were excluded from the start, training programmes were disconnected from real livelihoods, and infrastructure for hands-on learning was inadequate.
“Another isolated training scheme will not deliver us from these constraints. What we need is systemic change, a new architecture built to last.
“At the heart of the programme is the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative, DALI, a demand-driven national talent pipeline designed to link foundational and work-readiness training directly to guaranteed jobs or enterprise pathways.
“We need a platform to unify government, private sector leaders, development partners, and the boundless energy of our youth under a single banner.
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“This is a proposition to attract coordinated investment and replace fragmented efforts with a common front,” Shettima said.
He pledged that all training under the initiative would align with the National Skills Qualification Framework, ensuring that Nigerian youth possess not just the skills to work, but the credentials to compete globally.
“Let this be the turning point.
“Let this be the day history remembers as the moment we stopped managing youth unemployment as an inevitable crisis and started unlocking the creative, entrepreneurial, and intellectual capital of our people.
“We owe young Nigerians jobs. We owe them hope. We owe them the future, not just promises, but proof that their country believes in them enough to invest in their success.”
Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande said the administration’s vision is clear: to create jobs, bridge the skills gap, and empower young people through meaningful human capital development.
“Nigerian youths are not limited. We have the talent, creativity, and courage to thrive.
“What we need is a meaningful and enabling environment, and we must work together as one team to create and deliver real impact,” he said.
Rimamskeb Nuhu, Special Assistant to the President on Strategy and Policy, Workforce Development, identified three core challenges facing young Nigerians: foundational skills gaps, livelihood disconnect, and infrastructure deficit.
“In response, we created DALI, built on two pillars, equipping underserved communities with foundational digital skills and establishing Renewed Hope Digital Hubs to scale up existing government efforts,” he explained.
UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Fall, urged all stakeholders to reaffirm their commitment to Nigerian youth, describing them as “the most critical assets of the country and the continent.
“Every day, Nigerian youths demonstrate their potential. Together, we can drive large-scale impact by leveraging our networks to support initiatives like GenU 9JA, the biggest partnership platform for young people,” he said.
UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative and GenU 9JA co-chair, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, announced a major milestone: the formal recognition of the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) as Nigeria’s national youth opportunities aggregator.
According to her, YOMA is a digital one-stop platform that connects young people to skills training, innovation, volunteering, and economic opportunities.
“Children and young people must be at the centre of everything we do.
“This board meeting, coinciding with International Youth Day, reaffirms our shared belief that young Nigerians are not just beneficiaries of development, they are drivers of change.
“Through GenU 9JA, we are proving that youth-led transformation at scale is possible,” she said.
Global CEO of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, Kevin Frey, commended Nigeria’s leadership in youth innovation.
“Nigeria is one of the most dynamic countries globally. The vision, partnerships, and commitment of young people here are charting a new course for youth ecosystems at scale,” Frey said.
Inaugurated in 2021, Generation Unlimited Nigeria is a Public-Private-Youth-Partnership platform targeting 20 million young Nigerians by 2030.
It supports their transition from learning to earning, productive work, and active citizenship.
Private sector partners, including Microsoft, Airtel, IHS Towers, Unilever, CISCO, MTN, and Jobberman, are collaborating with the government and UNICEF to expand access to digital education, green jobs, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
