Certificates not enough, youths need job opportunities — PIND

The Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta has urged the creation of more pathways that connect the skills and training of young people to actual job opportunities, markets, and entrepreneurship. PIND's Executive Director, Sam Daibo, made this call during the organization's International Youth Day 2026 program, which gathered over 200 young Niger Delta residents.

Daibo emphasized that training courses alone were insufficient if they did not lead to clear paths for applying the skills acquired. He stated that "young people do not need training that ends with a certificate. They need pathways that connect learning to jobs, markets, mentorship, and enterprise opportunities." He further said that empowering young people to build sustainable livelihoods would bolster local economies and foster peaceful communities.

The forum connected participants from Bayelsa, Abia, Delta, Edo, and Rivers states with potential employers, mentors, training providers, and enterprise-support organizations. Employers and mentors were actively engaged in exploring opportunities in sectors such as information and communication technology, agriculture and agribusiness, renewable energy, construction, technical trades, hospitality, and the digital economy.

Participants also engaged in discussions on workplace readiness, employer expectations, and alternative career pathways, including internships, apprenticeships, mentorship, and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Patrick Ekpe, PIND's Youth Employment Pathways Manager, noted that the true measure of the initiative would be the number of participants who turned their event connections into real career opportunities. He stated, "The measure of success is not simply the number of young people who attended. It is the number who leave with useful contacts, apply for opportunities, enter mentorships, secure internships, or take concrete steps towards employment and entrepreneurship."

The event also showcased opportunities in the cassava value chain and Nigeria's renewable energy sector, introducing participants to PIND's NDLink platform for ongoing job and career development assistance. PIND pledged to monitor the commitments made by employers, mentors, training institutions, and development organizations to evaluate how these connections materialize into jobs, internships, apprenticeships, mentorships, and enterprise-support opportunities.