The ST’ G37 for PBAT coalition proudly commends the Honourable Minister for Youth Development for his bold and transformative leadership in advancing youth empowerment and engagement across Nigeria.
Since his appointment as substantive Minister on 23 October 2024, the Honourable Minister has led a series of impactful initiatives that are opening new opportunities for young Nigerians in entrepreneurship, digital innovation, health, and employment.
One of the flagship initiatives under his leadership is the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) ecosystem, which currently has over 250,000 youths actively engaged across programmes such as NiYA Academy, NiYA Gigs, NiYA Jobs & Internship, and NiYA Community.
The NiYA Startup Programme has also recorded impressive results, with ₦300 million already disbursed to support 217 youth-led startups, helping young entrepreneurs scale innovative businesses across the country. Similarly, the NiYA Gig platform, designed to connect Nigerian youth to global digital work opportunities in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, has already attracted over 40,000 registered young Nigerians.
Under the Honourable Minister’s leadership, the Ministry has also surpassed several performance targets. While the Ministry initially set a target of training 10,000 youths in digital skills, it has already reached 14,509 beneficiaries. In addition, 97,212 young Nigerians have benefited from mentorship, internship, apprenticeship, and career development programmes, exceeding the target of 80,000. In the area of peace-building and social stability, the Ministry trained 5,023 youths in crime prevention and peace-building initiatives, more than double the original target.
The Honourable Minister has also championed major national partnerships to prepare Nigerian youth for the future economy. Through collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the Ministry is supporting the Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) programme, which aims to train 30 million Nigerians in digital skills. Another partnership with the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) will train and place 5,000 Nigerian youths in data protection and privacy-related jobs.
In support of youth economic empowerment and clean energy transition, the Ministry also partnered with the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to provide CNG-powered tricycles to 2,000 young Nigerians in the informal transport sector.
Beyond economic empowerment, the Honourable Minister has also prioritized youth health through the Yo! Health (Youth Health) Initiative, a national programme addressing mental health, substance abuse, sexual and reproductive health, and other youth wellbeing challenges. The initiative has launched major interventions including Embrace Your Mind – a mental health guide for young Nigerians, nationwide awareness campaigns, and a toll-free helpline for mental health and substance abuse support.
To strengthen communication between young Nigerians and government, the Ministry also launched the Nigerian Youth HelpDesk, which has already received over 10,000 youth requests, with over 7,815 cases successfully resolved.
These achievements clearly reflect the Honourable Minister’s dedication to translating the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into tangible opportunities for Nigerian youth.
As a progressive youth coalition, ST’ G37 for PBAT proudly reaffirms its support for the Honourable Minister and his forward-looking policies. His leadership continues to inspire confidence among young Nigerians and demonstrates that the youth remain central to Nigeria’s future development.
As a progressive youth coalition, ST’ G37 for PBAT proudly throws its full weight behind the Honourable Minister and his forward-thinking policies. We urge him to remain steadfast in this mission of empowerment, innovation, and inclusive development. No doubt, Nigerian youth have found in him a committed advocate and a courageous driver of progress.
Signed
Hon. Idris Umar-Farouq
National Coordinator
ST’ G37 for PBAT 2027
Hon. Aremu John
National Secretary
