• Programme combines vocational, manufacturing, digital training with mentorship to address youth unemployment
• Olusi: youths remain greatest economic asset, bank ready them for brighter future
James Emejo in Abuja
The Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development have launched a pilot programme to equip 500 young Nigerians with vocational, manufacturing and digital skills, as the federal government seeks to strengthen youth employability and entrepreneurship.
The BOI Youth Empowerment Pilot Programme will provide free vocational and entrepreneurial training, with selected participants also gaining access to mentorship, practical exposure and enterprise support opportunities aimed at helping them establish and sustain businesses.
The initiative, which will be delivered by Abuja-based digital learning and technology company, Sapphital, will operate through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), using short, instructor-led video courses.
Managing Director/ Chief Executive, BoI, Dr. Olasupo Olusi, said the initiative was intended to provide young people with the tools to develop viable enterprises, describing it as more than a conventional training scheme.
Olusi said the combination of practical skills, mentorship and enterprise support would help participants identify opportunities to start and sustain businesses.
He added that the partnership with the ministry and Sapphital would provide a model that could be expanded nationwide to reach more young Nigerians under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
In a statement by Divisional Head, Public Relations, BoI, Theodora Amechi, he said, “ Young Nigerians are our greatest economic asset, and the Bank of Industry is committed to providing them the tools required to build a brighter future, creating viable enterprises.
“This pilot is much more than just a training programme. It connects young people to skills, mentorship and real opportunities to start and sustain businesses.
“Through our partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and Sapphital, we are building a model that can be scaled across Nigeria to reach even more young people in support of the Renewed Hope Agenda.”
The training areas were selected based on their potential to generate income and respond to market demand, with courses spanning creative and artisan trades, production and manufacturing, as well as digital skills.
The programme is designed to move beyond conventional training by linking skills acquisition with opportunities for enterprise development and employment.
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative reflected the administration’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with the capabilities needed to compete in an increasingly globalised economy.
He said youth empowerment and training were central to President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, adding that the country’s ability to benefit from its young population would depend partly on its competitiveness in the global economy.
He said the programme is expected to improve young Nigerians’ access to the skills and capabilities required to thrive in a changing employment and business environment.
Olawande said, “President Tinubu believes that youth empowerment and training are core pillars of national reform. A nation succeeds when its young population are globally competitive.
“Through this programme, we hope to equip Nigerian youths with the skills and capabilities they need to compete and thrive on a global scale.”
The development finance institution, supports enterprises through financing and business assistance aimed at promoting industrial development, job creation, poverty reduction and economic diversification.
Youth and skills development remained one of the bank’s six thematic focus areas, through which it seeks to improve employability and support entrepreneurship among young Nigerians.