Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has attributed the five per cent growth in the country’s economy in the second quarter of 2021 to his administration’s policy consistency and innovation.
The West African country’s leader stated this when he announced the creation of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme aimed at annually employing 20,000 graduates who recently concluded the mandatory one-year National Youth Service (NYSC).
Mr Buhar said the programme would provide an opportunity for mentors who were already engaged in various industries, gained relevant experience and built capacity over the years to provide mentorship and support for young Nigerians.
According to him: “Beyond the skills and work experience, we will be building a new culture of mentorship and guidance that can chart a new course for skills development and work experience in our country. We believe that as this programme creates new opportunities for 20,000 recent graduates annually, the beneficiaries will use the opportunities presented to them and maximize their 12 months of engagement.”
The President added that the jubilee programme will provide a pathway for young Nigerians to gain work experience in top tier organisations, gaining relevant skills and building the right networks for the future in various sectors including information and communications technology, financial services, trade, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing.
“Other sectors include mining, telecommunications, creative industries and technology, education, health, research and development, and public sector institutions. We believe that building the right skills and experiences across these sectors are important to sustain the economic growth we are experiencing.’’
He said the programme will build on other efforts of the government to support young Nigerians such as the N75 billion youth fund in the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, which was created to support young Nigerians in business or with business ideas, with N25 billion released annually for three years.
President Buhari encouraged all eligible Nigerians to apply for the jubilee programme and urged private sector organizations to join by providing work placement opportunities, mentors and funding.
“I would like to say thank you to the United Nations Development Programme and the European Union for their support on this vital initiative. And I hereby declare the program open,’’ he said.
By Abel Ejikeme
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