Joel Ajayi
The Honourable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to empowering young Nigerians through innovative programmes, inclusive policies, and strategic partnerships. He made this known at the Retreat on Presidential Priorities and Deliverables – 2025 Mid-Term Review, held in Abuja, where he presented the Ministry’s performance report.
According to the Minister, the Ministry has not only met but exceeded its second-quarter targets: 14,509 youth trained in digital skills (target: 10,000); 97,212 engaged in mentorship and career development (target: 80,000); 5,023 trained in crime reduction and peace-building (target: 2,500); over 250,000 enrolled in the Nigerian Youth Academy; 5,700 Help Desk cases processed with 3,407 resolved; and ₦31.6 million generated from Youth Centres (target: ₦11 million).
He further announced that a dedicated window of the National Youth Investment Fund (NYIF) will target women and youth with disabilities, alongside new partnerships with women’s groups, disability organisations, and the private sector, supported by clear performance indicators.
Speaking at the retreat, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gutier Migot, reaffirmed the European Union’s strong partnership with the Ministry. He praised the Ministry’s leadership, noting past collaborations such as the 2021 National Youth Conference and the 2024 CSO Stakeholders’ Forum, which informed the new National Youth Action Plan. Migot also highlighted ongoing EU-backed initiatives, including the D SAFE Project (with UNFPA), the Nigeria Jubilee Fellowship Programme, Digital Transformation Centres, and the EU Agricultural Value Chain Facility, while commending the resilience of Nigerian youth.
The Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya, officially opened the retreat, describing it as a strategic moment for reflection and renewed commitment. He emphasised the Ministry’s focus on strengthening coordination, enhancing performance management, building staff capacity, and creating flexible, sustainable structures.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, commended the Minister’s vision. He highlighted NYSC’s contributions: 56,013 corps members trained in digital skills (including 2,920 women in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre), 385,461 engaged in SAED since June 2023, and 1,118 supported to establish businesses. He reaffirmed NYSC’s commitment to partnerships that advance youth empowerment and national development.
Also speaking, Ms. Rinsola Abiola, Director-General of the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre (CLTC), described the retreat as a timely opportunity to align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. She stressed that Nigeria’s future depends on nurturing responsible, patriotic, and ethical youth, reaffirmed CLTC’s commitment to collaboration, and encouraged participants to contribute innovative ideas to shape youth policy under the theme: “Build the Youth, Build the Nation.”
