FG, groups to upskill youths for emerging employment

The Federal Government of Nigeria is partnering with agencies like the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to equip young Nigerians with skills relevant to the modern job market. The Minister for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, highlighted this at a two-day meeting in Port Harcourt, where they reviewed the Nigerian Youth Employment Action Plan (NIYEAP) for 17 southern states.

Olawande emphasized that Nigeria's young population is vital to the country's economic transformation. NIYEAP, a response to rising youth unemployment, aims to provide young people with quality education, decent employment, entrepreneurship support, and pathways to meaningful participation in the economy. The Minister stressed that the review meeting allows for government and partners to listen to youth and stakeholder concerns, leading to a framework that ensures youth employability in the 21st-century labor market.

Olawande stated that the ministry, with its partners, is committed to creating policies and programs that offer young Nigerians opportunities to acquire relevant skills, secure decent work, establish sustainable enterprises, and contribute to national development. UNICEF's Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Izuora, noted that young people are today's leaders and drivers of change, innovation, and economic transformation, representing Nigeria's greatest wealth.

ILO's Country Director, Dr. Vannesa Phala, commended the Federal Ministry of Youth Development for creating a platform to incorporate young people's voices, experiences, and aspirations into future youth employment policies and programs. The South-South states' representative, Nchelem Mekwa, emphasized the meeting's timeliness given the country's unemployment challenges, stressing that states must collaborate to address unemployment before it escalates into a crisis.