FG unveils new skills acquisition programme, targets 60% female participation

The Federal Government on Thursday inaugurated a new national skills programme aimed at connecting 20 million young Nigerians to jobs, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by 2030.

The government said it is targeting 60 per cent of the beneficiaries of the programme to be women in line with the determination of the current administration to advance women’s empowerment.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who on Wednesday assumed chairmanship of the reactivated Generation Unlimited (GenU) Nigeria Board, said the initiative is designed to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s youth and address the structural flaws in the country’s skills ecosystem.

Speaking at the inaugural board meeting, which coincided with International Youth Day 2025, themed “Youth Innovation for a Sustainable Future”, Shettima described Nigeria’s youthful population as its “superpower” in a rapidly ageing world.

“With over 60 per cent of our population below the age of 25, we cannot afford to squander this asset. An advantage unrealised is merely potential wasted,” he said. “We must refine it, invest in it, and channel it towards productive destinies.”

The Vice President warned that Nigeria faces a “skills trilemma”: too many young people excluded from opportunities, training disconnected from livelihoods, and inadequate infrastructure for large-scale hands-on learning.

At the heart of the government’s response is the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative (DALI), a demand-driven national talent pipeline linking training directly to guaranteed jobs or enterprise opportunities.

Shettima said all programmes will align with the National Skills Qualification Framework to ensure Nigerian youth can “compete globally, not just locally.”

“We owe young Nigerians jobs. We owe them hope. We owe them a future, not just promises, but proof that their country believes in them enough to invest in their success,” he added.

Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said the administration’s approach is “clear: create jobs, bridge the skills gap, and empower young people through meaningful human capital development, not token gestures.”

Special Assistant to the President on Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Rimamskeb Nuhu, noted that DALI is anchored on two pillars:

Equipping underserved communities with foundational digital skills.

Establishing Renewed Hope digital hubs to expand government’s reach.

Other stakeholders reported progress under GenU 9JA’s three pillars, Digital Learning and Connectivity, Workplace Readiness, and Youth Engagement and Empowerment, with over 10 million youths benefiting from flagship initiatives since 2021, including: FUCAP Campus Ambassadors Programme (Unilever), Passport to Earning (P2E) (Microsoft), Green Rising Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) (FCDO).

Global endorsement
UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Mohamed Fall, described young Nigerians as “the most critical asset of the country and the continent,” while UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative and GenU co-chair, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, hailed the recognition of Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) as the national youth opportunities aggregator, a one-stop digital platform for skilling, innovation, volunteering, and economic pathways.

Global CEO of UNICEF Generation Unlimited, Kevin Frey, praised Nigeria’s “vision, partnerships, and youth leadership” as a model for scaling youth-focused innovation globally.

Launched in 2021, GenU 9JA is a Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) platform targeting 20 million Nigerian youths by 2030, in partnership with global and local organisations including Microsoft, Airtel, IHS Towers, Unilever, CISCO, MTN, and Jobberman.

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