Vice President Kashim Shettima said the federal government has finalised plans to invest $220 million in creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
He hinted at this plan in Abuja on Wednesday, October 22, during the formal launch of the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0.
The NJFP 2.0 is focused on aligning graduate skills with emerging market needs in areas such as technology, energy, agriculture, and creative industries.
Launched in partnership with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the initiative aims to equip high-potential graduates with work experience, training, and mentorship to enhance their employability.
READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu Set to Open Defense, Names Wike, Sanwo-Olu, Buratai as Witnesses
The goal is “to bridge the transition gap between learning and earning for thousands of young Nigerians — graduates who have the education, but not always the opportunity,” Shettima said.
Pinnacle Daily reports that Nigeria’s unemployment rate before the change of methodology by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stood at over 30 per cent.
It was brought down to 5.3 per cent in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 with NBS’s new calculation method and later slid to 4.3 per cent in the second quarter (Q2) of the same year. However, analysts and experts alike believe that this is not a true reflection of the unemployment rate in the country.
READ ALSO: 18-Year-Old Sani Becomes Nigeria’s Youngest Licensed Commercial Pilot
Continuing, Shettima said the initiative will translate the nation’s demographic strength “into productive economic power, proving that when government provides structure, partnership, and purpose, young Nigerians rise to the occasion.”
He said that the NJFP is a Nigerian programme shaped by national priorities and guided by the nation’s sense of purpose, adding that the current administration is determined to deepen its ownership by embedding the programme into the government’s national planning and budgeting framework.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X
