President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed that empowering Nigeria’s youth is a deeply personal priority for his administration, which is now over two and a half years old.
The Federal Government recently unveiled a series of initiatives aimed at equipping young Nigerians with digital skills and entrepreneurial tools to compete globally.
Speaking at the launch of the second edition of the Nigeria Youth Academy (NiYA) Startup Grants and the debut of the NiYA Gig digital-work platform in Abuja, the President—represented by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, stressed that youth development was central to Nigeria’s future and the cornerstone of his Renewed Hope Agenda.
“From the earliest days of this administration, I made a firm decision that Nigeria’s youth will not stand on the margins of our national development.
”This commitment is not political; it is personal,” the President said.
Tinubu highlighted ongoing reforms designed to expand opportunities for youth-led enterprises, including simplifying tax compliance for small businesses, incentivising the digital and creative economy, and building a pipeline of young global service providers through NiYA Academy, NiYA Startup, NiYA Jobs, and the new NiYA Gigs platform.
The Ministry of Youth Development, under Minister Ayodele Olawande, noted that the programme now covered a comprehensive youth-empowerment ecosystem spanning skills acquisition, enterprise creation, and income generation.
Olawande announced grants of N1 million for 200 youth-led startups and N500,000 for 100 informal-sector beneficiaries, emphasizing that the funds are meant as support rather than loans.
NiYA Gig was launched as a national digital-work platform connecting young Nigerians to paid opportunities both locally and globally.
Olawande also highlighted the success of complementary initiatives, such as the Nigerian Youth Help Desk and a WhatsApp AI Chatbot that has engaged over one million young people.
Finance Minister Wale Edun highlighted the administration’s focus on preparing Nigeria’s youth for global competition through investments in digital infrastructure, skills development, and innovation.
He noted that young Africans could represent 25 per cent of the world’s workforce by 2050, and enhanced broadband access will allow Nigerians to offer digital services internationally.
Minister of State for Finance Doris Uzoka-Anite Udoka emphasized that financial reforms including easier credit access, concessional loans, tax incentives, and stronger digital infrastructure, were intended to stimulate entrepreneurship and unlock creative potential among youth-led MSMEs.
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi described Nigeria’s digitally literate young population as a critical national asset, calling the country’s talent pool “our new oil,” especially as more than 70 per cent of Nigerians are under 18.
Finally, Special Adviser Hadiza Bala Usman stressed that achieving President Tinubu’s $1 trillion economy target hinges on fully harnessing youth potential.
She also noted ongoing reforms to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), positioning the scheme as a launchpad for future-oriented careers.
