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Access To Capital, Job Creation Top FG’s 2025 Agenda For Nigerian Youths

Published

6 hours ago

December 13, 2024

Joel Ajayi

As 2024 draws to a close, the Federal Government has unveiled its strategic focus for Nigerian youths in 2025, prioritizing six critical areas aimed at empowering and transforming the nation’s young population.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, during the closing ceremony of the 7th National Council on Youth Development (NCYD) held in Borno State.

Themed “Transforming and Repositioning the Nigerian Youth to Thrive and Catalyze Economic Development,” the event highlighted the government’s commitment to youth development.

The six priority areas outlined by the Minister include: Access to Capital, Job Creation, Empowerment, Skill Development, Entrepreneurship Support and Youth Involvement in Decision-Making Processes.

According to the Minister, Nigeria’s sustainable growth and economic progress hinge on the empowerment of its youth, who make up over 60% of the population and represent the nation’s greatest strength.

“To facilitate this vision, the Ministry has established a Youth Help Desk to provide direct engagement opportunities for young people to address their concerns. Additionally, the government has approved the establishment of: A Youth House in Abuja, A Youth Centre in every state of the federation, A Youth Green House in all 774 local government areas “These initiatives will create platforms for interaction, engagement, and idea-sharing among Nigerian youths,” the Minister stated.

Comrade Olawande also highlighted additional programs such as the Corpreneur Support Initiative, Young & Secure, and other training and development initiatives aimed at enhancing the creative and entrepreneurial potential of young Nigerians.

He appealed to stakeholders, including State governors and commissioners, to support the establishment of these Youth Centres and ensure their state-level plans align with the national youth development agenda.

“Our youth need safe spaces to exchange ideas, network, and innovate. Their empowerment, support, and protection remain essential to unlocking their full potential,” Olawande emphasized.

In his opening remarks,the Borno state Governor, Governor Babagana Umaru Zulum reaffirmed the importance of youth development, describing Nigerian youths as the backbone of the nation’s economy. He pledged his administration’s commitment to initiatives such as vocational training, education, and scholarship programs to equip young people with the skills and resources needed for success.

“We believe that investing in our youth is investing in our future,” With 70% of Nigeria’s population under the age of 30, this demographic is an invaluable asset that must be nurtured and supported.

“This renewed focus on youth development signals the Federal Government’s dedication to empowering the next generation, ensuring their ability to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the country’s economic growth,” he concluded.

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President Tinubu To Open APC Think Tank Conference on Skills Acquisition

Published

1 hour ago

December 13, 2024

The Gleamer

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will on Tuesday declare open a Three Day National Conference that would address poverty, unemployment and skills’ gap in Nigeria.

The conference is designed by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC Think Tank and intellectual resource center, The Progressive Institute, TPI.

Themed: Vocational Skills Acquisition, Entrepreneurship and Challenges of Development in Nigeria, the conference is scheduled to hold from Tuesday, 17th to Thursday 19th December, 2024 at The Banquet Hall of The Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The Chief host of the conference and APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said the conference is an intervention by the APC Leadership to contribute to the efforts of the Federal Government towards addressing the challenges of youths unemployment as well as the current gaps between many University degrees and work place requirements.

“TPI will assemble a team of Experts and practitioners to undertake empirical and clinical appraisals of the current challenges and proffer creative and imaginative solutions which will be forwarded to the Federal Government for consideration and implementation”.

Dr. Lanre Adebayo, Director General, DG of TPI noted that the event is a policy- driven Conference with the aim of addressing advanced skills sector such as Advanced Construction Technologies, Digital Technologies, Technical skills in Mining, Maritime, Advanced Welding Certifications, Skills in Sustainable development and Climate Change Agriculture (including value chain processing, agro-preneurship) etc.

The DG said the Conference will undertake a comparative and historical analyses of the experiences of countries such as Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia which built their economies on related advanced vocational skills.

“Foreign and Nigerian based groups have been invited to deliver position papers on these areas. And some of them from Britain and China have offered to raise funds for a proposed Zonal Skills Acquisition Centers”

Dr. Adebayo added that there are middle level as well as low level vocational skills which will also feature at the programme. He said the essence is to shortlist these skills especially in the context of their relevance to each of the Country’s six geo-political areas.

He added that conference seeks a review of the extant Nigerian educational curriculum with a view to examining how to restore and strengthen the vocational content.

“It will also examine how to further utilize the cooperative model in organizing small and medium scale enterprises into powerful economic units especially to create wealth on sustainable basis”

It promises to be expository as Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEDAN), Nigerian Chamber of Commerce, Bank of Industry, Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other government and non-governmentmental organizations, NGO have been invited to contribute to the conference.

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