The Federal Government has unveiled an ambitious national skills initiative aimed at bridging Nigeria\u2019s employment gap by connecting 20 million young people to jobs, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by 2030, with a special focus on ensuring at least 60 per cent of beneficiaries are women. Vice President Kashim Shettima, who now chairs the reactivated Board of Generation Unlimited (GenU) Nigeria, announced the plan during the inaugural board meeting held on International Youth Day 2025, themed \u201cYouth Innovation for a Sustainable Future.\u201d
Shettima described Nigeria\u2019s youthful population as a strategic advantage in a rapidly ageing world, warning that the nation\u2019s skills ecosystem faces a \u201ctrilemma\u201d of exclusion, training disconnected from livelihoods, and inadequate infrastructure for hands-on learning. He stressed that the centrepiece of the drive \u2014 the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative (DALI) \u2014 will serve as a demand-driven talent pipeline, linking work-readiness training directly to guaranteed jobs or enterprise opportunities. All training will align with the National Skills Qualification Framework to ensure globally competitive credentials.
The Vice President called for unified action from government, the private sector, and development partners, pledging that this initiative would replace fragmented efforts with a coordinated front to unlock the creative and entrepreneurial potential of Nigeria\u2019s youth. UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative and GenU co-chair, Wafaa Saeed, commended the recognition of the Youth Agency Marketplace as a national one-stop digital platform for skilling, innovation, and economic pathways, affirming that young Nigerians must be seen as drivers of change rather than mere beneficiaries.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, reiterated the administration\u2019s vision to create jobs, close the skills gap, and drive human capital development, while Presidential aide Rimamskeb Nuhu outlined DALI\u2019s focus on equipping underserved communities with foundational digital skills and establishing Renewed Hope digital hubs nationwide. The programme builds on the success of earlier flagship initiatives such as the FUCAP Campus Ambassadors Programme, Microsoft\u2019s Passport to Earning, Green Rising, and the Girls\u2019 Education and Skills Partnership, which have already impacted over 10 million youths in four years.
The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, urged all stakeholders to remain committed to empowering the country\u2019s youth, describing them as the nation\u2019s most critical assets. \u201cEvery day, Nigerian youths prove their potential,\u201d he said. \u201cThrough collective effort and platforms like GenU 9JA, we can deliver transformation at scale and secure a sustainable future for the next generation.\u201d
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