Dare Babalola
The Federal Government has intensified efforts to equip millions of young Nigerians with marketable skills, calling on international partners, industry players, and policymakers to scale up support for its ongoing youth development drive.
This was disclosed in a statement on Tuesday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
According to the statement by, the initiative is part of a broader strategy by the administration of President Bola Tinubu to strengthen the country’s workforce and stimulate economic growth through skills acquisition.
Speaking at the National Skills and Industry Alignment Roundtable Series (Q1 2026) in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima emphasised the need for a more coordinated approach to job creation, urging stakeholders to prioritise alignment between skills training and labour market demands.
Represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Shettima noted that Nigeria’s growing youth population presents both an opportunity and a challenge, particularly as many available jobs remain informal and lack stability.
He stressed that the government is shifting away from fragmented interventions toward a unified system that connects skills acquisition directly to employment and enterprise.
“We are moving away from isolated programmes toward a coherent national framework where skills translate into jobs, and jobs into sustainable economic growth,” he said.
Nkwocha, in the statement, highlighted the Vice President’s position that job creation requires a collective effort, with the private sector playing a central role alongside government institutions.
“Job creation cannot be left to government alone. Industry stakeholders must not only employ but also help shape the workforce by clearly defining the skills they require,” the statement quoted.
The roundtable, themed “Bridging Skills Supply and Labour Market Demand,” was organised by the Office of the Vice President with support from the European Union.
Shettima commended the EU for its continued partnership, noting that such collaborations have strengthened Nigeria’s job creation ecosystem and expanded opportunities for young people.
Also speaking, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, said the construction sector alone holds significant potential for employment, given the wide range of skilled labour it requires.
Meanwhile, Head of Cooperation for Nigeria and ECOWAS at the EU, Massimo De Luca, reaffirmed the bloc’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s skills development agenda, noting that recent interventions have focused on aligning training programmes with real sector needs.
Nkwocha added that the roundtable forms part of ongoing efforts to ensure better coordination among stakeholders, with a shift from dialogue to measurable outcomes in job creation and youth empowerment.
