By Michael Ajiyi and Franca Ofili
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr Jamila Ibrahim, says no fewer than one million young people will benefit from the National Youth Skills Programme (NYSP) in the first year of its inauguration.
Ibrahim disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja at the commemoration of the 2024 World Youth Skills Day with theme, “Youth Skills for Peace and Development.’’
The sub-theme of the event was, “Upskilling Youth for Peace, Skill up Youth for Development.’’
According to the minister, the celebration is in compliance with the declaration of the United Nations General Assembly for every member state to commemorate the day on every July 15.
Ibrahim said that annual event served as an opportunity for member states to recognise the importance of equipping young people with the necessary skills for employment and entrepreneurship.
She said that the event aimed to also address the challenges of skills acquisition amongst the youth.
The minister said that the ministry was working towards supporting job creation and reducing unemployment.
She said that the NYSP would soon be inaugurated, targeting one million beneficiaries in its first year.
The minister said that the Youth Investment Fund had been increased from N72 billion to N110 billion, which would help enhance the ministry’s projects.
Ibrahim urged youths to identify and improve their talents and skills, emphasising that the government’s investment in the youth should motivate them to shun negative tendencies.
She said that the ministry had already streamlined the process to ensure that more young entrepreneurs could access the funds they needed to innovate and create jobs.
Ibrahim urged the youths to embrace skill acquisition as a means of contributing to the country’s growth and development, reinforcing the theme of “Youth Skill for Peace and Development.”
She said the reforms would integrate skill development and entrepreneurship into the service year, making it more impactful and economically beneficial for the graduates.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, said that the ministry would be shifting its focus to incorporate both formal and informal youths.
Olawande said that the Federal Government was determined to ensure that seven million Nigerian youths acquired at least two skills within the next two years.
According to him, the ministry is running the Nigeria Youth Academy Programme with no fewer than 60,000 beneficiaries to test run the academy before its full implementation.
Olawande emphasised the importance of job fairs.
He said that that while Nigeria has had trade fairs over the years, it was time to have job fairs to promote skill acquisition.
Olawande said that the ministry planned to work with every local government to ensure that each had at least one local product they produce and manufacture with raw materials sourced from the area.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth, Mr Adaramodu Adeyemi, described the skill development initiative as a positive development by the ministry.
Adeyemi assured the ministry and the youths that he was ready to legislate on any measures that would enhance their lives.
He stressed that with youths making up 60 per cent of the country’s population, it was essential to pave the way for their development and empowerment.
Mr Kashim Ali, a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Engineers and a guest speaker at the event, challenged the public to engage in skill acquisition regardless of age or qualification.
He encouraged adults to learn skills that were suitable for them as it was never too late to learn. (NAN)