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2024 WYSD : We’ll Uplift The Youths Through Initiatives – Minister of Youth
Joel Ajayi
Federal Government yesterday re-assured that, it will do all within her strength to lift many Nigerian Youth out of unemployment cycles through its numerous initiative put in place to bring prosperity to the youths.
The Minister of Youth Development, Jamila Bio-Ibrahim gave the assurance in Abuja at the occasion of 2024 World Youth Skills Day celebrations, she said that, Nigerian youths are potentially the greatest investment for a country’s socio-economic, political and technological development.
She expressed that the Federal government knows the importance of youths in the present government. This has inspired the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to graciously approved a total of N110 billion to be released for the operation of the newly restructured Youth Development Fund and the investment in agricultural Small and Medium Enterprises instead of 75billion earlier approved.
2024 WYSD with the theme Youth Skills For Peace and Development , “Upskilling Youthful Peace” , “Skill Up Youth For Development.”
It will be recalled that United Nations General Assembly daclared that all member states to celebrate the Word Youth Skills Day on the 15th July of every year, it was on this that, put in place program in collaboration with other critical stakeholders in youth employment and empowerment to commemorate to celebrate the day.
According to her, the aim of the commemoration is to appreciate and celebrate the contributions of skills acquisition and development to nation building with the primary objective of reducing restiveness and poverty, encourage and support job creation, and most Importantly reduce the high rate of unemployment among the youth in developing economies.
“Federal Ministry of Youth Development recognizes the high level of the commitment of various stakeholders in this event. The designated day seeks to generate greater awareness of discussions on how important skills acquisition are in promoting national economic growth and personal success. It is believed that skill acquisition will contribute to reducing unemployment among the youth across the globe. The day highlights youth skills development and draws attention to the critical needs and the importance of technical, vocational, entrepreneurial and modern agricultural education and training to both national and global economics.
“Millions of youth worldwide are loved and therefore unengaged with any meaningful and sustainable livelihood and the worrisome part of the scenario is that majority bracket live in developing countries where young people are ed and continuously exposed to lower quality level jobs, or market inequality, longer and more insecure school to work s. In fact young people in their twenties (20) are not just bored, they are frustrated at how they are locked out of local decision making processes as well as economic and life opportunities. These disengaged, disenfranchised and frustrated set of youth are a growing concern of the present admistren.
“World Skills Day is set to bring in the required ergy among the critical actors in youth development. Therefore at end of the dy believe that the programme would have successfully achieved increadeshusiasm for skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development in Nige challenge all the stakeholders for enhanced commitment to skill development and create a laudable platform to launch a new project on skills acquisition and developmeht that aligns with the RENEWED HOPE AGENDA.
“It is worthy to note that the youth is one of the greatest assets that any nation can have and are legitimately regarded as the future leaders and partners of today. They are potentially the greatest investment for a country’s socio-economic, political and technological development.”
“On our part, the Ministry shall continue to initiate and implement youth employment programmes and activities that will take our youth off the streets. In response to the high rate of unemployment among the youth and in line with its core mandates, the Ministry recently organized a scale up capacity building programme in Fashion design and Tailoring business with the establishment and equipping, by the Ministry, of a tailoring Hub in National Youth Development Centre, Odeomu, Osun State with modern fashion and tailoring machineries where interested youth entrepreneurs can access the centre to acquire and develop their skills in fashion design and allied businesses amongst others.”
She called on all well-spirited Individuals, groups and existing partners present here that there is urgent need for multidisciplinary collaboration and team work in Identifying and catering for the need of the skilled youth.
In his welcome addressed, permanent Secretary to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dunuoma Umar Ahmed appealed to all youth in the country not to engage in any social devices, drugs or any action that will jeopardize their future.
Also speaking, the Director Enterprises Development and promotion of Ministry Mr Momoh Olugbenga stated that 2024 WYSD remains a clear demonstration of determination and commitment of all to promote skills acquisition, peace and socio-economic development of the country.
No doubt, Millions of youth worldwide are unemployed, uneducated and unengaged with the majority living in developing countries. Young people are underemployed and continuously exposed to lower quality level jobs, greater labor market inequality, longer and more insecure school to work transitions. In fact, young people in their twenties (20) are not just bored, they are frustrated at how they are locked out of local decision making processes as well as economic and life opportunities. These disengaged, disenfranchised and frustrated set of youth are a growing concern of the government.
He said that; the 2024 World Skills Day with the theme ‘Youth Skills For Peace and Development’ is all set to bring in the required synergy among all critical actors in jobs and employment creation for socio-economic development and peace of the country.
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NELFUND: The Renewed Hope Engine Propelling Nigeria’s Youth into Tomorrow
By Dayo Israel, National Youth Leader, APC
As the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress, I have spent most of my tenure fighting for a Nigeria where every young person, regardless of their ward or local government, family income, or circumstance, can chase dreams without the chains of financial despair.
Today, that fight feels like victory, thanks to the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND). Launched as a cornerstone of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, this initiative isn’t just a policy tweak; it’s a revolution. And under the steady, visionary hand of Managing Director Akintunde Sawyerr, NELFUND has transformed from a bold promise into a roaring engine of opportunity, disbursing over ₦116 billion to more than 396,000 students and shattering barriers for over a million applicants.
Let’s be clear: NELFUND was always destined to be a game-changer. Signed into law by President Tinubu on April 3, 2024, it repealed the outdated 2023 Student Loan Act, replacing it with a modern, inclusive framework that covers tuition, upkeep allowances, and even vocational training—ensuring no Nigerian youth is left on the sidelines of progress.
But what elevates it from groundbreaking to generational? Leadership. Enter Akintunde Sawyerr, the diplomat-turned-executioner whose career reads like a blueprint for results-driven governance. From co-founding the Agricultural Fresh Produce Growers and Exporters Association of Nigeria (AFGEAN) in 2012—backed by icons like former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina—to steering global logistics at DHL across 21 countries, Sawyerr brings a rare alchemy: strategic foresight fused with unyielding accountability.
As NELFUND’s pioneer MD, he’s turned a fledgling fund into a finely tuned machine, processing over 1 million applications since May 2024 and disbursing ₦116 billion—₦61.33 billion in institutional fees and ₦46.35 billion in upkeep—to students in 231 tertiary institutions nationwide. That’s not bureaucracy; that’s brilliance.
Sawyerr’s touch is everywhere in NELFUND’s ascent. Since the portal’s launch, he’s overseen a digital ecosystem that’s as transparent as it is efficient—seamless verification, BVN-linked tracking, and real-time dashboards that have quashed misinformation and built trust. In just 18 months, the fund has empowered 396,252 students with interest-free loans, many first-generation learners who might otherwise have dropped out.
Sensitization drives in places like Ekiti and Ogun have spiked applications — 12,000 in a single day in one instance, while expansions to vocational centers in Enugu pilot the next wave of skills-based funding. And amid challenges like data mismatches and fee hikes, Sawyerr’s team has iterated relentlessly: aligning disbursements with academic calendars, resuming backlogged upkeep payments for over 3,600 students, and even probing institutional compliance to safeguard every kobo. This isn’t management; it’s mastery—a man who doesn’t just lead but launches futures.
Yet, none of this happens in a vacuum. President Tinubu’s alliance with trailblazers like Sawyerr is the secret sauce securing Nigeria’s tomorrow. The President’s Renewed Hope Agenda isn’t rhetoric; it’s resources—₦100 billion seed capital channeled into a system that prioritizes equity over elitism. Together, they’ve forged a partnership where vision meets velocity: Tinubu’s bold repeal of barriers meets Sawyerr’s boots-on-the-ground execution, turning abstract policy into tangible triumphs. It’s a synergy that’s non-discriminatory by design—Christians, Muslims, every tribe and tongue united in access—fostering national cohesion through classrooms, not courtrooms.
As Sawyerr himself notes, this is “visionary leadership” in action, where the President’s political will ignites reforms that ripple across generations.
Why does this matter to us, Nigeria’s youth? Because NELFUND isn’t handing out handouts—it’s handing out horizons. In a country where 53% of us grapple with unemployment, these loans aren’t just funds; they’re fuel for innovation, entrepreneurship, and endurance.
Picture it: A first-generation polytechnic student in Maiduguri, once sidelined by fees, now graduates debt-free (repayments start two years post-NYSC, employer-deducted for ease) and launches a tech startup. Or a vocational trainee in Enugu, equipped with skills funding, revolutionizing local agriculture. This is quality education that endures—not fleeting certificates, but lifelong launchpads. Sawyerr’s focus on human-centered design ensures loans cover not just books, but bread—upkeep stipends of ₦20,000 monthly keeping hunger at bay so minds can soar. Under his watch, NELFUND has debunked doubts, refuted fraud claims, and delivered results that scream sustainability: Over ₦99.5 billion to 510,000 students by September, with 228 institutions on board.
As youth leaders, we see NELFUND for what it is: A covenant with our future. President Tinubu and MD Sawyerr aren’t just allies; they’re architects of an educated, empowered Nigeria—one where poverty’s grip loosens with every approved application, and innovation blooms from every funded desk. This isn’t charity; it’s an investment in the 70 million of us who will lead tomorrow.
We’ve crossed one million applications not because of luck, but leadership—a duo that’s turning “access denied” into “future unlocked.”
To President Tinubu: Thank you for daring to dream big and backing it with action.
To Akintunde Sawyerr: You’re the executor we needed, proving that one steady hand can steady a nation.
And to every Nigerian youth: Apply. Graduate. Conquer.
Because with NELFUND, your generation isn’t just surviving—it’s thriving, enduring, and eternal.
The Renewed Hope isn’t a slogan; it’s our story, now written in scholarships and success. Let’s keep turning the page.
Dayo Israel is the National Youth Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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