This article is about the full list of youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria currently in this year 2023. Youth empowerment programmes, are specific programmes organised by government or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are targeted at youths of a certain age range in order to provide them with various opportunities to learn skills and gain valuable experiences that promote positive lifestyles and enhance their capacity to make healthier life choices in the society, and be self employed, thereby reducing the unemployment rate in the country which is quite on the high side. The various youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria are discussed below.
FULL LIST OF YOUTH EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMES IN NIGERIA 2023
The following is a comprehensive list of the various youth empowerment programmes that areavailable in Nigeria this 2023:
N-POWER
The N-Power Programme is built to address the issue of youth unemployment and help increase social development. The Programme is designed to target Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35 “to acquire and develop life-long skills for becoming change makers in their communities”. By deploying a force of 500,000 trained graduated in their communities, the N-Power Programme is a community-sourced solution to the nation’s under-developed public services like education, healthcare, and civic engagement. The Purpose of the Programme is to prepare young Nigerians for a modern, globalized economy by helping equip youths with skills and certifications for emerging global markets. Nigeria is looking to increase its already bustling technology sector by supporting a talent pool of software developers, hardware professionals, and other tech-based skills such as animators and digital artists.
N-Power is categorized into two namely:
- Graduate Programmes
- Non-Graduate Programmes
N-POWER GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
The N-POWER Graduate Programmes include the following:
N-AGRO
N-Power Agro is the programme designed to provide services to farmers across the country. Part of the focus is to support the development of efficient farming techniques and practices to maximize productivity in the agricultural sector. The other side of the programme provides technological and institutional development to farming communities in rural areas, places where the public service sector is particularly underrepresented. By creating a stronger link between rural and urban communities and centralizing the knowledge base while incorporating local knowledge and practices, the N-Power Agro programme is built to link the diverse communities of Nigeria while promoting a modern economy.
EDUCATION
The N-Power Teach programme helps improve basic education in Nigerian communities. Volunteers are deployed as teachers assistants in primary schools where they engage with students to foster relationships and build confidence while supporting their educational development. In addition, these volunteers bring education solutions to underserved communities, helping the most marginalized members of their communities get access to the education they need to participate in the modern workforce. As part of this programme, volunteers help implement STEM programs in primary schools with a particular focus on computer science, engineering, applied mathematics, and other tech information knowledge.
HEALTH
The N-Power Health Programme deploys volunteers to provide care with a focus on preventative measures and the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children. By increasing access to basic health services in underserved communities the N-Power Health Programme serves the double purpose of increasing the overall well-being of millions of citizens and supporting the development of healthcare infrastructure with community-based solutions.
N-POWER NON-GRADUATE PROGRAMMES
The N-Power non-graduate programmes include the following:
N-POWER KNOWLEDGE
The N-Power Knowledge programme is the Federal Government’s first step towards diversifying to a knowledge economy. This programme will work alongside the planned eight innovation hubs across the country to provide incubation and acceleration of the technology and creative industries. The programme is a ‘Training to Jobs’ initiative, essentially ensuring that participants can get engaged in the marketplace in an outsourcing capacity, as freelancers, as employees and as entrepreneurs. It comprises of N-Creative, N-Tech Hardware, N-Tech Software
N-POWER BUILD
N-Power Build is an accelerated training and certification (Skills to Job) programme that will engage and train 75,000 young unemployed Nigerians in order to build a new crop of skilled and highly competent workforce of technicians, artisans and service professionals.
The focus industries include:
- Building Services
- Utilities
- Construction
- Automotive
- Built Environment Services
- Aluminium and Gas.
YOUTH ENTERPRISE WITH INNOVATION NIGERIA (YOUWIN!)
The Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin!) programme is a collaboration of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Communication Technology (CT), and the Ministry of Youth Development to promote an annual business plan competition (BPC) for aspiring young entrepreneurs in Nigeria, in line with the Federal Government’s drive to create more jobs for Nigerians. The programme is implemented in partnership with Nigerian private sectors, which will be requested to provide funding support. The main objective of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin!) programme is to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria to develop and execute business ideas that will lead to job creation. The programme will provide aspiring youth with a platform to showcase their business acumen, skills and aspirations to business investors and mentors in Nigeria.
TONY ELUMELU FOUNDATION ENTERPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME
The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) was founded in 2010 by Tony O. Elumelu, CFR; An entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who is passionate about Africa’s economic development. The Tony Elumelu Foundation is the leading champion of entrepreneurship in Africa. Their objective is to empower women and men across the African continent, catalysing economic growth, driving poverty eradication and ensuring job creation. The Foundation believes the private sector’s role is critical for Africa’s development and that the private sector must create both social and economic wealth.
Founded by African investor and philanthropist, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, and representing his personal commitment to creating a new generation of entrepreneurs, through his investment company, Heirs Holdings, the Foundation is active in all 54 African countries. Their mission is implemented through their programmes, research, communities, advocacy and convenings, including the annual TEF Forum, the largest gathering of entrepreneurs in Africa, and TEFConnect, Africa’s digital hub for entrepreneurs. The Foundation leverages its strong relationships in the public, private and development sectors to drive its mission of creating prosperity for all.
In 2015, the Foundation launched the TEF Entrepreneurship Programme, a $100 million commitment by Tony Elumelu to empower 10,000 African entrepreneurs over 10 years. Building on the Programme’s success and its unique ability to identify, mentor and fund entrepreneurs across Africa, the Foundation is increasingly sharing its robust delivery platform and working in partnership with institutions such as United Nations Development Programme, the African Development Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross, GIZ, and United Bank for Africa Plc, to create meaningful and permanent impact across Africa.
Thus far, the Tony Elumelu Foundation has trained, mentored, and funded over 15,847 young African entrepreneurs across all 54 African countries through its Entrepreneurship Programmes, and provides capacity-building support, advisory and market linkages to over 1 million Africans through its digital networking platform, TEFConnect.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT NIGERIA (YEN)
Youth Empowerment Nigeria (YEN) is project established to address the gaps of diversity, empower youths in numerous areas of life, capacity building, youth involvement in service projects, civic engagement, philanthropy and decision-making of their communities. All YEN projects reflect a commitment to investing in the lives of Youth and are driven by individual initiative, teamwork and youth-adult partnerships. YEN bridges youths and community resources through several distinct approaches such as:
- Encouraging skill acquisition
- Encouraging service-learning
- Community projects and social action
- Philanthropy
- Youth-led research
- Social entrepreneurship
- Engaging youth as volunteers.
GRADUATE INTERNSHIP SCHEME (GIS)
The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS) is a youth empowerment programme in Nigeria that is financed by the Federal Government under the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme, SURE-P. This programme seeks to empower Nigerian graduates who are finding it difficult with securing a job after school. The Graduate Internship Scheme (GIS), was founded in the year 2012 and it empowers about 50,000 Nigerian graduates every year. The objectives of the GIS are: to empower youths, to build up manpower for Nigeria and to provide young Nigerians with a bright future.
YOUTHS EMPOWERING PEOPLE (YEP)
The Youths Empowering People (YEP) is yet another youth empowerment programme in Nigeria that promotes skills acquisition, and entrepreneurship and it is mostly targeted at youths in the Niger-Delta region of the country, thus helping to alleviate poverty and promote self employment in the process.
AFRICAN YOUTH EMPOWERMENT NIGERIA (AYEN)
The African Youth Empowerment Nigeria (AYEN) is an international, independent, non-governmental, non-political and action oriented youth empowerment organization that was established to contribute to the wellbeing of the youths as they grow to become the leaders of tomorrow; and to as well assist them in the personal development of youths through training for skill acquisition towards meaningful contribution to communal development.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT AND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (YEDI)
Youth Development and Empowerment Initiative (YEDI) is an adolescent health organisation that educates, empowers, and inspires youth and community development in Nigeria using sound, proven models that get results. Founded in 2011, YEDI has benefitted over 300,000 young people in schools and community sites in Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, Ogun, and Rivers States with evidence-based programmes designed to build young people’s assets, facilitate their access to health services, and promote their adherence to healthy behaviours.
The YEDI model trains young adult mentors aged 10-35 as community change agents to implement age-appropriate and gender-sensitive curricula that combine football metaphors and activities with high impact health information that engage youth and break down cultural barriers. YEDI runs these programmes through fixed and outreach sites, which operate as safe spaces for young people aged 10-24 years old to access engaging sport-based activities as well as health and social services across the adolescent continuum of care.
Other youth empowerment programmes in Nigeria include:
- Youth Initiative For Sustainable Agriculture In Nigeria (YISA)
- Presidential Youth Empowerment Support (P-YES)
- Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF).
