The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians through inclusive policies, innovative programmes, and strategic partnerships.
Speaking in Abuja at the Presidential Priorities and Deliverables Mid-Term Review Retreat, Olawande presented the Ministry’s progress report, noting that it had exceeded several second-quarter targets.
According to him, 14,509 youths were trained in digital skills against a target of 10,000; 97,212 participated in mentorship and career development schemes compared with a goal of 80,000; and 5,023 received training in crime reduction and peacebuilding, more than doubling the 2,500 target.
He added that over 250,000 youths had enrolled in the Nigerian Youth Academy, 5,700 HelpDesk cases were processed with 3,407 resolved, while ₦31.6 million was generated from Youth Centres, surpassing the ₦11 million projection.
Olawande further announced that a special window of the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) would now target women and young people with disabilities.
The initiative, he said, would be implemented in partnership with women’s groups, disability organisations and the private sector, with clear performance indicators to ensure accountability.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Gutier Migot, praised the Ministry’s leadership and recalled previous collaborations such as the 2021 National Youth Conference and the 2024 CSO Stakeholders’ Forum.
He also referenced ongoing EU-backed projects, including the D SAFE Project, Nigeria Jubilee Fellowship Programme, Digital Transformation Centres, and the EU Agricultural Value Chain Facility.
Declaring the retreat open, Permanent Secretary Mr Olubunmi Olusanya described it as a moment of reflection and renewed commitment.
He stressed ongoing efforts to strengthen coordination, improve performance management, and build sustainable structures within the Ministry.
NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, commended Olawande’s vision and highlighted NYSC’s role in youth development.
He revealed that 56,013 corps members had been trained in digital skills, including 2,920 women in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre. Since June 2023, he added, 385,461 corps members had been engaged in the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative, with 1,118 supported to establish businesses.
He pledged NYSC’s continued support for youth empowerment.
Similarly, Director-General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), Ms Rinsola Abiola, described the retreat as an opportunity to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
She said fostering patriotism and ethical values among the youth was vital for national progress, reaffirming CLTC’s readiness to collaborate and urging participants to offer innovative ideas.
