The Federal Government says it has enrolled 23,516 unemployed graduates out of a 24,000 target under the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) as of June.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Office of the Vice President, Mr Akubo Adegbe, disclosed this on Thursday in Birnin Kebbi during the NJFP 2.0 engagement with employers and fellows.
themomentng reports that the programme, themed: “Employer and Fellow,” is aimed at building a skilled workforce for the nation.
Speaking at the event, Adegbe said, “We have achieved 97.3 per cent of the 24,000 graduates targeted when the programme was launched by Vice President Kashim Shettima in October 2024.
“When NJFP 2.0 was launched last October by His Excellency, Vice President, we set an ambitious target to get 24,000 graduates on the portal by the end of June this year.
“By the deadline, two days ago, we had 23,516 graduates across the country. That is about 97.3 per cent of our target. We are almost there,” he said.
According to Adegbe, Nigeria has abundant talented youths, but lacks sufficient opportunities.
“In Nigeria, we do not have a shortage of talent. What we have is opportunity deficit. Our youths are talented, but they have not been given the chance to do what they are capable of doing.
“Therefore, this programme is to connect our youths to opportunities. Talented young people should be linked to unlimited opportunities,” he said.
He added that at the national level, the Federal Government is working to grow Nigeria’s economy to $1 trillion, having already reached about $500 billion.
He said achieving that goal would require strong human capital to drive economic growth.
Adegbe commended the Kebbi Government for its agricultural initiatives and said the programme was designed for state-level implementation so that each state could address its specific challenges and leverage its comparative advantages.
“This programme is designed to provide the workforce we need today and the workforce we will need tomorrow.
“It is about building the human resources that will sustain Nigeria’s development,” he said.
He also thanked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for partnering with the government to help Nigerian youths become employers of labour.
In his remarks, Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi, represented by the Commissioner for Sports and Youth Development, Nurudeen Bala-Fingilla, described the programme as proof that classrooms alone cannot guarantee employment for graduates.
He urged beneficiaries to make themselves relevant and avoid being passive in any organisation they join.
Some beneficiaries also spoke at the engagement, testifying about the impact of the programme and urging their peers to use the opportunity to transform their lives.
