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The Federal Government of Nigeria has approved ₦120 billion to launch a nationwide youth skills acquisition programme. It aimed at tackling unemployment and empowering vulnerable groups, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
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Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, revealed the initiative during the Adolescent and Youth Ministerial Dialogue on Wellbeing, Health, and Development, held in Abuja on Tuesday. The event, themed “From Words to Action,” was organized by Plan International, in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and UNESCO.
Represented by Prof. Ali Idris, Senior Special Assistant to the Minister, Ahmad emphasized that the programme is a strategic component of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to deliver sustainable youth empowerment across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
“If your company is registered and capable of training at least 60,000 young Nigerians within three months, the ministry will engage and pay that company. Upon completion, trained individuals will receive starter packs to launch their ventures,” she noted.
The programme will prioritize inclusive policymaking, incorporating youth voices in decision-making processes. The Ministry of Education also plans to convene a stakeholders’ summit to gather input from young people on priority training areas before implementation begins.
“This is a collaborative effort with youth, not for youth alone. We’re co-creating the strategy with their participation,” Ahmad stressed.
Citing Nigeria’s current economic challenges—including company closures and limited public sector employment—Ahmad stated that vocational and digital skills training offer viable alternatives for national development and global competitiveness.
DBI-SBTS Digital Empowerment Programme
In line with these objectives, the government is also driving digital transformation through a strategic partnership between the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) and Sierra Business Training Solutions (SBTS).
The DBI-SBTS Digital Empowerment Programme aims to train over 50,000 Nigerian youths in cutting-edge areas such as:
- Cybersecurity
- Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Software Development
- Digital Marketing
Courses are being co-developed with global tech leaders like Microsoft and Google, while a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) cluster expansion will position Nigeria as an outsourcing hub across Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, and Yola. The partnership expects to attract over $500 million in foreign investment by 2026.
Additionally, the programme offers financial inclusion components such as grants and microloans to support startup capital for trainees, facilitated through SBTS’s sponsorship platform.
By 2027, the initiative targets a 40% reduction in Nigeria’s digital skills gap, positioning the country as a leading source of tech talent in Africa.
