The Federal Government has resolved to invest $220 million in job creation for young Nigerians.
Vice President Kashim Shettima stated this on Wednesday while inaugurating the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The federal government developed the initiative in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
It aimed at connecting high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, training, and mentorship.
Shettima said the goal was to bridge the transition gap between learning and earning for thousands of young Nigerians.
This, according to him, will translate the nation’s demographic strength “into productive economic power.”
He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration is determined to deepen the ownership by embedding the programme into the government’s national planning and budgeting frameworks.
Shettima said: “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, 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.”
The Vice President 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.”
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