The Nigerian government has concluded plans to invest $220 million in creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
The initiative is to be spearheaded in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0 aimed at connecting high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, training, and mentorship.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, who disclosed on Wednesday when he formally flagged off the NJFP at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said 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.
According to him, this 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.”
The VP noted that while the NJFP is a Nigerian programme shaped by national priorities and guided by the nation’s sense of purpose, the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to deepen the ownership by embedding the programme into government’s national planning and budgeting frameworks.
“This government will do its part — by ensuring that our financial commitment to the programme reflects our belief in its transformative potential. But national ownership must also mean national participation,” he said.
Vice President Shettima also called for collaboration between the government and the private sector to tackle Nigeria’s unemployment challenge.
“As we launch NJFP 2.0 today, I call on our partners — from the private sector, the development community, and the donor ecosystem — to join us in building the NJFP Basket Fund, a sustainable financing mechanism to secure the programme’s future.
“Our immediate goal is to raise $220 million, not as charity, but as an investment in the nation’s most valuable asset: our young people.”
VP Shettima implored the EU, the UNDP and other partners to consider the flag-off of the programme as an opportunity to prove that “youth employment is not just a policy priority but a shared responsibility.”
He said it was now time for Nigeria, through its public institutions, private sector champions, and philanthropic community to lead from the front, even as he maintained that inclusivity is key to driving the process.
“The task before us is both serious and inspiring. The young Nigerians we seek to serve are not asking for handouts — only for a fair system that recognises effort, rewards merit, and provides opportunity. They are ready to build if we are ready to back them,” he added.
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