The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to empower young people with digital skills through a partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
The plan, introduced on Tuesday, intends to train and empower 20 million young people by 2030.
Vice President Kashim Shettima announced the collaboration during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja attended by United Nations (UN) officials such as Mohammed Fall, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator; Rownak Khan, UNICEF deputy representative; and Celine Lafoucriere, chief of UNICEF's Lagos field office.
As part of the deal, Shettima will chair the board of Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), a public-private collaboration aimed at assisting Nigerians aged 10 to 24 in transitioning from learning to earning through digital opportunities.
“This platform provides a vista of opportunities for our young people. Beyond rhetoric, if we want to survive and thrive, we must empower our youth through digital means. That’s the only way forward,” the vice president said.
He emphasised that Nigeria seeks sustainable partnerships, not charity.
“We want a mutually beneficial relationship, one based on respect and shared interests,” Shettima stated while also noting that this digital skills drive would enable Nigerian youth to compete in the global marketplace.
Fall commended Nigeria’s leadership, stating that GenU 9JA is pivotal in tackling youth unemployment and digital exclusion.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agenda, youth-focused initiatives—skills, digital access, and employment—are critical. And GenU is helping to drive those priorities,” he said.
Khan revealed that Nigeria’s GenU 9JA program is one of UNICEF’s most successful youth empowerment models globally.
“We’ve seen incredible results from Nigeria. Few countries have recorded the level of youth impact that GenU 9JA has achieved,” she noted.
On her part, Lafoucriere, said: “To reach our target of 20 million youth by 2030, we must now strengthen coordination among partners and align even more closely with national policy.”
Share