President Bola Tinubu has launched the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), an initiative aimed at equipping young Nigerians with the skills required to compete effectively on the global stage.
Speaking at the launch, President Tinubu emphasized the importance of empowering the youth, citing Nigeria’s median age of 17 years and its projection to become the third-largest country in the world by 2050.
The NiYA will focus on three critical areas:
- Education and Skills Development: Providing world-class training in digital literacy, technical skills, entrepreneurship, and creative industries.
- Economic Empowerment: Offering financial support, mentorship, and resources to young entrepreneurs through initiatives like the Youth Investment Fund and the Presidential Initiative for Youth Enterprise Clusters.
- Leadership and Civic Engagement: Nurturing the next generation of leaders through training in governance, policy-making, and community development.
According to President Tinubu, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the NiYA is a bold response to Nigeria’s low human capital index ranking, unemployment, and other barriers to progress.
The academy aims to train and empower millions of young Nigerians within the next two years, equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and opportunities needed to compete with the rest of the world.