The Federal Government has launched the long-awaited Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0, with the promise to invest $220 million in creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
Vice President Kashim Shettima who performed the formal launch of the programme at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the goal was “to bridge the transition gap between learning and earning for thousands of young Nigerians; graduates who have the education, but not always the opportunity.”
NJFP, is a federal government’s initiative spearheaded in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with the aim to connect high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, training, and mentorship.
In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications, Office of The Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, the VP noted that while the NJFP is a Nigerian programme shaped by national priorities and guided by the nation’s sense of purpose, the administration of President Bola Tinubu is determined to deepen the ownership by embedding the programme into government’s national planning and budgeting frameworks.
“This government will do its part — by ensuring that our financial commitment to the programme reflects our belief in its transformative potential. But national ownership must also mean national participation.
“As we launch NJFP 2.0 today, I call on our partners — from the private sector, the development community, and the donor ecosystem — to join us in building the NJFP Basket Fund, a sustainable financing mechanism to secure the programme’s future.
“Our immediate goal is to raise $220 million, not as charity, but as an investment in the nation’s most valuable asset: our young people,” he noted.
Shettima, according to the statement, implored the EU, the UNDP and other partners to consider the flag-off of the programme as an opportunity to prove that “youth employment is not just a policy priority but a shared responsibility.”
He observed that when resources are pooled and intentions are aligned in the course of building together, a multiplier effect is created that benefits the nation’s economy.
The Vice President acknowledged the contributions of the EU and the UNDP, noting that their belief in Nigeria’s youth has demonstrated what could be achieved through collaboration.
He said it was now time for Nigeria, through its public institutions, private sector champions, and philanthropic community to lead from the front, even as he maintained that inclusivity is key to driving the process.
The statement also quoted the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, to have described the NJFP 2.0 as a continuation of the federal government’s success in youth empowerment.
He noted that since the programme began in 2021, it has helped over 13,000 youths to gain skills, assuring that the initiative will build on its progress and achieve its long-term goal of placing 100,000 youths in jobs within five years.
