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

Published

5 months ago

August 14, 2025

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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PHOTOS & VIDEO: Fire razes part of Ogun free trade zone, Igbesa

Published

7 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

A fire outbreak has occurred at the mattress section of the Ogun–Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ), Igbesa, on Sunday.

It was gathered that the fire was triggered by a gas explosion from a foam-producing company in the industrial park.

The incident has reportedly caused chaos and fear among students living around the Obanla axis of the area.

In a video obtained by our correspondent, students were seen running out of their hostels as the thick smoke covered the sky.

An eyewitness, Kuwhede Vincent, a student of the Ogun State Institute of Technology, OGITECH, Igbesa, disclosed that there was a loud noise followed by smoke and fire.

Vincent said, “ It started around 8 am in the morning, we first saw smoke then fire coming from the company.

“The company is very close to my hostel but I don’t think any hostel was affected. We just carried our bag because we don’t know what can happen next”.

He noted that the fire service were on ground to curtail the fire.

Reacting to the incident, President of the Student Union Government in OGITECH, Ilo Fadilu Temitope, in a statement signed by its secretary, Moses Josephine and PRO Segbetin Sunday, and made available to called for calm among students, urging them to be vigilant, and adhere strictly to safety measures.

Part of the statement reads, “The attention of the Students’ Union Government has been drawn to information reaching us regarding a fire outbreak at the Ogun–Guangdong Free Trade Zone (OGFTZ), Igbesa, which is in close proximity to some student hostels around the Obanla axis.

“While relevant authorities are reportedly responding to the situation, the Students’ Union deems it necessary to prioritize the safety and well-being of all students.

“In view of this, students especially those residing around Obanla axis and its environs are hereby advised to remain calm but vigilant, and to strictly observe the following safety measures: Avoid unnecessary movement towards the affected area or fire scene, stay indoors where it is safe to do so and keep doors and windows closed if there is smoke in the environment, switch off electrical appliances and gas sources as a precaution.”

As of the time of filing this report, there has not been any official statement on the cause of the incident.

When contacted by our correspondent, the Commissioner of the State’s Ministry of Environment, Ola Oresanya said, “Thanks for the information, I will work on it immediately.”

Many houses affected as fire guts Ogun Free Trade Zone pic.twitter.com/pYIjbLwGhJ

— Temitope Hassan (@temihat) January 11, 2026

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Demolition notice: Ogun communities cry out, call for Gov Abiodun’s intervention

Published

7 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

About 15 communities in the Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State have called for the intervention of Governor Dapo Abiodun over alleged plot to demolish their villages and acquire their land.

The communities include Itori Mogan, Laaki, Jaguna, Ogunu, Paashi, Kumapayi, and Abule Odo of Ijemoland among others.

According to the villagers, the community which is over 300 years was excised by former governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration.

It was gathered that the state government, through the its Planning and Development Permit Authority, Abeokuta Metro Zonal Planning Office, served a demolition notice with service number 00047932 on the occupiers of Itori Mogan village on Friday, accusing them of contravening the Land Use Act of Ogun State for residing in Hillcrest Estate.

In the demolition notice dated January 9, 2026, the government gave the occupiers three days deadline to vacate the affected villages that fell within its acquisition.

Expressing their displeasure on Saturday, the Baale of Ogunro, Chief Olakunle Bodunde, speaking on behalf of the villages marked for demolition, lamented that the present administration is bent on taking the remaining part of the community for an estate development, while rendering members of the community homeless.

He noted that the matter was in court and despite several meetings with the government, a demolition notice was pasted on their buildings.

He said, “We have taken significant steps to address this issue. We had meetings with the government, and now the matter is in court.

“We have served them, and the government has been notified, but they are not showing up in court, and now they have come to paste demolition notices on our buildings.

“We want things to be done with due process. The court has not made a pronouncement yet.”

Also speaking, Chief Oludare Salako, the Baale of Itori Mogan, said the communities have different ancestral gods which according to him cannot be relocated, saying that forceful eviction could spell danger.

He appealed to the state governor to intervene, expressing the belief that he may not be aware of the incident.

“We want Governor Dapo Abiodun to intervene, as we believe he may not be aware of these alleged land grabbers in his government. We want him to look critically into the matter and stop their actions,” Salako added.

The Aro of Egbaland and Oluwo of Ijemo, High Chief Oluyinka Kufile, urged the villagers to engage in dialogue with the government and be hopeful.

“If you have a right, no government will stop you from exercising your right. So my advice is to dialogue.

“We have signed pacts with the present government on some particular land and villages. Go there, visit the office, and make inquiries. Why again are they trying to take back the land,” he said.

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Full List Of Countries Nigerians Travel To Without Visa

Published

7 hours ago

January 11, 2026

Oluwagbenga Olaoye

Nigerian passport holders can now travel to 45 countries worldwide without obtaining a visa in advance, according to the latest update from Visaindex.

The development significantly eases international travel for Nigerians, providing broader options for tourism, business, education and family visits.

Of the 45 destinations, 27 countries allow visa-free entry for Nigerian citizens, while the remaining operate visa-on-arrival or Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) regimes. Entry conditions vary by country, but the update signals an expansion of global mobility opportunities for Nigerians.

Several African nations have adopted open-border policies aimed at boosting regional integration, trade and tourism.

The Gambia – Since 2019, the country has declared itself a visa-free zone for all African travellers, extending the policy to Commonwealth nations, the European Union, and select Baltic states.

Benin – Inspired by Rwanda, Benin lifted visa restrictions for all Africans in 2019, strengthening its position as a commercial and transit hub in West Africa.

Kenya – In October 2023, President William Ruto announced the removal of visa requirements for all African visitors to enhance trade, tourism and continental connectivity.

Rwanda – Since November 2023, Rwanda has granted visa-free entry to all Africans without fees, reinforcing its reputation as a leading tourism and conference destination.

Ghana – Ghana recently joined the visa-free league for Africans, a move expected to attract investors, tourists and business travellers as it positions itself as a regional hub.

Other Visa-Free Or Easy-Access Destinations

Nigerian passport holders can also access the following countries either visa-free, via visa-on-arrival, or through eTA arrangements:

Barbados

Burkina Faso

Cameroon

Cape Verde

Chad

Cook Islands

Côte d’Ivoire

Dominica

Fiji

Guinea