President Bola Tinubu has reiterated that empowering Nigeria’s youth remains a “deeply personal” priority of his administration, as the Federal Government unveiled an expanded package of digital-skills and enterprise-support initiatives in Abuja on Tuesday.
Speaking at the launch of the second edition of the Nigeria Youth Academy (NiYA) Startup Grants and the unveiling of the NiYA Gig digital-work platform, the President, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, said youth empowerment sits at the heart of the country’s long-term development and is a central pillar of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He said the administration had, from its earliest days, resolved that young Nigerians would “not stand on the margins” of national growth. “This commitment is not political; it is personal,” he added.
The President outlined a series of ongoing reforms to widen opportunities for youth-led enterprises, including simplified tax compliance for small businesses, incentives for the digital and creative sectors, and the expansion of skills and service-export pipelines through NiYA Academy, NiYA Startup, NiYA Jobs and the newly launched NiYA Gigs.
Tinubu commended the Ministry of Youth Development for broadening the programme’s reach following the debut edition, which drew more than 14,000 applications nationwide.
Youth Development Minister, Ayodele Olawande, said the administration was building a comprehensive empowerment ecosystem that spans skills development, enterprise creation and income generation.
He announced grants of N1 million each for 200 youth-led startups, alongside N500,000 grants for 100 informal-sector beneficiaries.
“These are not loans, but fuel for your journey,” he said.
Olawande also introduced NiYA Gig, a national digital-work marketplace designed to connect young Nigerians to paid opportunities both locally and internationally.
He announced the success of complementary initiatives such as the Nigerian Youth Help Desk and a WhatsApp AI Chatbot, which has already reached more than one million young people.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, said the government was positioning Nigeria’s youthful population for global competition by investing in broadband expansion, digital infrastructure and innovation.
“Nigeria’s youth are our demographic advantage,” he said, adding that young Africans are projected to make up a quarter of the global workforce by 2050.
Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite Udoka, said ongoing financial-sector reforms would expand access to credit, increase concessional loan availability, strengthen tax incentives and scale digital infrastructure for youth-led micro, small and medium enterprises.
“These initiatives are deliberately designed to stimulate entrepreneurship and deepen the creativity that defines the Nigerian spirit,” she said.
In a goodwill message, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, described Nigeria’s digitally skilled youth as a critical national asset.
“Our human capital, our talent, is our new oil,” he said, noting that more than 70 per cent of the nation’s population is under 18.
Hadiza Bala Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, said Nigeria’s ambition of achieving a $1 trillion economy hinges on harnessing the potential of its youth.
Usman added that planned reforms to the National Youth Service Corps would transform the scheme into a launchpad for future-ready careers.
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