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FG to fix skills gap, connect 20 million youths to jobs

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5 months ago

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The Federal Government has announced a new national skills programme aimed at connecting 20 million young Nigerians to jobs, training, and entrepreneurship opportunities by 2030, with at least 60 per cent of beneficiaries expected to be women.
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‎This is just as Vice President Kashim Shettima has assumed the chairmanship position of the reactivated Board of Generation Unlimited (GenU) Nigeria.
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‎This was made known in a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on media and communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha.
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‎Speaking on Wednesday during the inaugural board meeting of Generation Unlimited Nigeria, Shettima described Nigeria’s youthful population as the nation’s superpower and comparative advantage in a rapidly ageing world.
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‎The GenU board meeting coincided with International Youth Day 2025, themed “Youth Innovation for a Sustainable Future.”
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‎“With over 60 per cent of our population below the age of 25, we cannot afford to squander this asset. An advantage unrealised is merely potential wasted. We must refine it, we must invest in it, and we must channel it towards productive destinies,” the Vice President said.
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Shettima warned that Nigeria’s “national skills ecosystem faces a trilemma” with too many young people excluded from the start, training disconnected from livelihoods, and inadequate infrastructure for large-scale hands-on learning.

“Another isolated training scheme will not deliver us from these constraints. What we need is systemic change—a new architecture built to last,” he added.
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‎The centrepiece of this push is the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative, described as a demand-driven national talent pipeline that will link foundational and work-readiness training directly to guaranteed jobs or enterprise pathways.
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‎“We need a platform to unify government, private sector leaders, development partners, and the boundless energy of our youth under a single banner. This is a proposition to attract coordinated investment and replace fragmented efforts with a common front,” Shettima said.
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‎The Vice President pledged that all training under the initiative will align with the National Skills Qualification Framework to ensure that “our young people possess not only the skills to work but the credentials to compete globally.”
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‎Charging the new board, in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners, to proceed with full development and implementation of DALI,
‎ Shettima said, “Let this be the turning point. Let this be the day history remembers as the moment we stopped managing youth unemployment as an inevitable crisis and started unlocking the creative, entrepreneurial, and intellectual capital of our people.
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‎“We owe young Nigerians jobs. We owe them hope. We owe them the future, not just promises, but proof that their country believes in them enough to invest in their success.”
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‎In his remarks, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the administration’s vision is “clear — create jobs, bridge the skills gap, and empower young people through human capital development, not just token gestures.”
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‎“Nigerian youths are not limited. We have the talent, creativity, and courage to thrive. What we need is a meaningful and enabling environment, and we must work together as one team to create and deliver real impact,” he added.
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‎Also, Special Assistant to the President on Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Rimamskeb Nuhu, explained that the government had identified three major challenges facing young Nigerians — foundational skills gap, livelihood disconnect, and infrastructure deficit.
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‎“In response, we created DALI, built on two pillars: equipping underserved communities with foundational digital skills and establishing Renewed Hope digital hubs to scale up existing government efforts,” he noted.
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‎The statement noted that over 10 million youth have already benefited in the first four years from flagship initiatives such as FUCAP Campus Ambassadors Programme (with Unilever), Passport to Earning (P2E) with Microsoft, Green Rising, and the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) with FCDO, among many others.
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‎The UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, urged stakeholders to “reaffirm commitment to Nigerian youths,” describing them as “the most critical assets of the country and the continent.”
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‎“Every day, Nigerian youths demonstrate their potential. Together, we can drive large-scale impact by leveraging our networks to support initiatives like GenU 9JA — the biggest partnership platform for young people,” Fall added.
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‎Also, UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative and GenU 9JA co-chair, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, said a major achievement of the project was the formal recognition of Youth Agency Marketplace as Nigeria’s national youth opportunities aggregator, a one-stop digital platform connecting young people to skilling, innovation, volunteering, and economic pathways.
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‎“Children and young people must be at the centre of everything we do. This board meeting, coinciding with International Youth Day, reaffirms our shared belief that young Nigerians are not just beneficiaries of development, they are drivers of change. Through GenU 9JA, we are proving that youth-led transformation at scale is possible,” Saeed said.

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UK Threatens To Deport Nigerians Over Illegal Jobs

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14 hours ago

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January 10, 2026

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The United Kingdom has issued a fresh warning to Nigerians and other migrants against taking up jobs without proper permission, stating that anyone caught working illegally will face arrest, detention and deportation.

It was reports that the UK authorities said actions against illegal workers have increased across the country, with immigration raids now happening more frequently than before.

Officials explained that enforcement teams are actively visiting workplaces to identify people who are breaking immigration rules.

According to the UK government, migrants found working without valid authorisation will be dealt with immediately and may be removed from the country.

The Home Office in a tweet said it is committed to enforcing immigration laws and will not tolerate illegal employment.

The authorities added that working illegally harms the UK labour system and puts lawful workers at a disadvantage, as it allows employers to bypass rules meant to protect jobs and wages.

“Those caught working illegally in the UK will be arrested, detained and removed.

“Immigration Enforcement raids are at record levels, with those found to be working illegally being arrested, detained and removed from the country,” the UK government said.

The warning comes as the UK tightens its border and labour policies, leading to more workplace inspections, especially in sectors known to employ migrant workers.

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Resident Doctors Insist On Planned Strike Despite Court Order

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14 hours ago

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January 10, 2026

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The Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has said it will proceed with its planned nationwide strike on January 12, 2026, unless its National Executive Council decides otherwise.

The NARD President, Mohammad Suleiman, stated this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

It was reports that the development follows a National Industrial Court sitting in Abuja restraining the association and two of its officials from embarking on any form of industrial action from January 12.

Justice E. D. Subilim granted the interim injunction in a suit marked NICN/ABJ/06/2026, filed by the Federal Government and the Attorney-General of the Federation against NARD, Dr Suleiman and Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim.

Speaking via telephone during the programme, Suleiman said the association was not deterred by the court order, alleging that the Federal Government had failed to act in good faith despite NARD’s earlier decision to suspend its strike in November 2025.

Suleiman said, “We signed the MoU on the 27th of November. The strike was supposed to start on the 27th of December. NEC carried it over, and at the beginning of this year, we met again and gave more days.

“Then, at the close of work today, I started hearing from social media that a court injunction has been served. I’m even hearing that ‘no work, no pay’ documents have been released.

“When we are discussing and negotiating, it should be done in good faith. Once you start bringing out armouries and arms like this, it means you don’t want to negotiate in good faith.”

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Asked whether the association would proceed with the strike despite the court order, the NARD president said the action would go ahead unless the NEC decides otherwise.

“We will proceed unless the National Executive Council of the Nigeria Association of Resident Doctors says otherwise,” he said.

Suleiman, however, said the association was still engaging with the Federal Government and expressed optimism that the dispute could be resolved before the strike date.

“We are in conversations. We are in discussions with the Federal Government’s team. I hope that between tonight and Sunday, a lot of things will be done properly,” he added.

 

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‘I’m Not A Criminal, They Are In Your Offices And Corridors Of Power’ – Baba-Ahmed Recounts DSS Invitation

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20 hours ago

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January 10, 2026

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The Labour Party’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has described his recent encounter with the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) as mild Nollywood drama.

It was learnt that Baba-Ahmed’s invitation followed concerns about recent public remarks about the judiciary and presidency.

Baba-Ahmed had, during a television interview, blamed the judiciary and the military for allowing the swearing-in of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

An insider in security operatives said, “He even went to the length of inciting the military, saying it was President Tinubu’s swearing-in that made it possible for them to look you in the face and call you ‘bloody fools.’

“His comments carry undertones capable of heightening national tension, particularly given the sensitivity of Nigeria’s current political climate. It has nothing to do with politics, but the corporate existence of our nation could be threatened if such rhetoric is allowed to fester.”

Recounting the encounter with the DSS, Baba-Ahmed, who also doubles as the founder and chancellor of Baze University, Abuja, in an interview with Punch, said he voluntarily honoured the agency’s request and was curious about its motive because he is not a criminal.

He also denied being invited by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), saying the anti-graft agency had no reason to summon him.

According to Baba-Ahmed, his encounter with DSS officers made him feel sorry about the state of leadership and governance in the country.

He said, “The EFCC did not invite me, and it is very unlikely they will anytime soon. However, there was a mild Nollywood drama between some gentlemen of the DSS and myself on November 28, 2025. It lasted just two hours and 15 minutes.

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“To sum it all up, I walked into their national headquarters very curious, wondering: Why are you looking for me? I’m not a criminal. The criminals are in your offices and in your corridors of power.

“But anyway, here I am. Talk to me. What do you want? I came out feeling very sorry for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. If these are who you call our leaders, then I understand why the United States of America will have to come and attack terrorists on behalf of Nigerian forces. I feel sorry for us.

“But yes, a Nollywood drama played out. They pleaded with me that, please, you know, this government is very weak. And the way you’re punching, it can crash. Now listen, these are what we call paper tigers.”

Dismissing any sense of intimidation, the LP chieftain urged Nigerians not to succumb to fear, insisting that democratic accountability must not be silenced.

He added, “The wind is blowing and they’re scaring people. Do not be afraid. Trust in God and believe in yourselves. They will add up to nothing.”

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