The Federal Government has unveiled an ambitious plan to create at least 20,000 jobs annually through the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), a flagship youth employment initiative designed to equip young graduates with work experience, mentorship, and entrepreneurial skills.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to officially flag off the NJFP 2.0 on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, in Abuja, during a High-Level Policy Dialogue on Job Creation themed "From Skills to Jobs and Enterprises: Driving Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Key Economic Sectors."
Ahead of the event, the Vice President on Monday inaugurated the NJFP 2.0 Project Steering Committee at the Presidential Villa, urging members to ensure the programme delivers tangible results and inclusivity across all regions.
Coordinated by the Office of the Vice President, the NJFP is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the European Union (EU).
Since its inception in 2022, the initiative has empowered over 14,000 Nigerian youths through 12-month paid fellowships linking their skills to workplace opportunities.
Shettima described the programme as a deliberate strategy to transform Nigeria’s youthful population into a productive economic force.
"The NJFP represents a deliberate attempt to translate the nation’s demographic strength into productive economic power, demonstrating that when government provides structure, partnership, and purpose, young Nigerians rise to the occasion," he said.
The Vice President said that NJFP 2.0 is a Nigerian-driven initiative shaped by national priorities, calling for stronger inter-agency collaboration and accountability.
"As we deliberate today, I encourage us to think not in terms of targets or figures alone, but in terms of outcomes that matter, young people whose lives change because this system works as intended.
"In scaling NJFP 2.0, inclusivity must remain at the heart of our design. Our young people are not a homogeneous group; they live in different realities across regions, genders, and social backgrounds.
"We must ensure that this opportunity reaches every corner of the country, and that placements are tied to the sectors that will shape Nigeria’s future: agriculture, digital technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, and the creative industries," he said.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr Gautier Mignot, commended the Nigerian government’s leadership, announcing confidence that the programme would transform the lives of thousands of young Nigerians.
Also speaking, UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, lauded the Tinubu administration’s focus on youth empowerment, revealing that NJFP 2.0 aligns with both national and continental development goals.
"The target is to put structures in place to sustain the deployment of at least 20,000 fellows annually.
"This administration is not only focused on policy, it is focused on impact. Through NJFP 2.0, we are demonstrating how government programmes can translate into real opportunities for decent work and enterprise creation for young Nigerians," she said.
Speaking at a press briefing ahead of the launch, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the revamped NJFP 2.0 builds on lessons from the first phase and responds to evolving economic challenges.
He disclosed that the new phase will place at least 24,000 fellows over the next 10 months, backed by EU funding, while setting a long-term structure to sustain the deployment of 20,000 fellows annually.
"This administration is not only focused on policy but on impact. Through NJFP 2.0, we are translating government programmes into real opportunities for decent work and enterprise creation," Hadejia said.
He explained that the programme offers two clear career pathways for fellows, employment through professional placements, and entrepreneurship through mentorship and enterprise support.
"The idea is to ensure every fellow either secures meaningful employment or launches a viable business by the end of the fellowship," he added.
Describing NJFP as a "bold and practical response" to the aspirations of Nigerian youth, Hadejia said it reflects the Tinubu administration’s commitment to turning "skills into jobs, ideas into enterprises, and hope into results."
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