The Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Ministry of Interior are to collaborate to combat unemployment among youth in Nigeria.
The Minister of Youth Development, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, made this known during her courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, at his office in Abuja, weekend.
Jamila said the Ministry of Youth Development is proposing a comprehensive collaboration with the Ministry of Interior to develop and implement targeted strategies to combat the soaring rates of youth unemployment in Nigeria, adding that the partnership aims to leverage resources, expertise, and innovative approaches to address the complex challenges faced by young people entering the workforce.
She called the attention of the Minister of Interior to the recent move by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to approve the restructuring and expansion of the Youth Investment Fund.
“The fund has been increased from N75 billion to N110 billion, with the specific aim of serving as a robust funding mechanism for the implementation of the Presidential Initiatives on Youth Enterprise Clusters,” she said.
The minister added that the plan is to establish clusters in key sectors of the economy and ensuring that young people take the lead in these sectors. She stated that the priority sectors include agriculture, digital economy, blue economy, creative economy, extractive economy (mining), and the oil and gas sector.
She elaborated on the vision, saying, “the importance of having these economic clusters owned and driven by young individuals’ aims at integrating young people into the economic processes of our country.
It is part of the concerted efforts towards achieving an ambitious 3 trillion dollar economy, as articulated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
The youth minister further stated that she wanted to partner with agencies under the supervision of her counterpart and one of the critical agencies she mentioned is the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) whose core mandate is to protect national assets and the clusters. She said they are projected to be pivotal assets for the prosperity of the nation.
“We are going to discuss methods for funding the recruitment of individuals who will be responsible for monitoring and protecting the clusters. We also aim at leveraging the specialised expertise of your agency to assist the ministry in the comprehensive profiling and assessment of these young individuals.
“Moreover, we seek NSCDC’s insights to conduct a meticulous audit to determine the exact number of personnel needed to be at these clusters. We believe that NSCDC’s expert’s recommendations will be instrumental in fortifying this invaluable national asset, which has the potential to significantly boost the country’s economy.
“We must prioritise mentorship by establishing Young Marshal Volunteers in agencies under the Interior Ministry, such as the Nigeria Immigration Service, NSCDC, the Nigeria Correction Service, and Fire Service. Currently, there is a concerning lack of mentorship for young people, leading to societal issues. The Marshal Volunteers platform will address this gap by providing mentorship and instilling values of service, contributing to the development of a new generation in our society,” she stated.
The Minister of Interior, Olunbunmi Tunji-Ojo, underscored the accessibility of his office for potential collaboration. He elaborated on their comprehensive efforts to address the issue of overcrowding in correctional centers across the country.
He also stated the ongoing plans to restructure the centers in order to adhere to international standards, outlining specific measures such as improvements in facilities and operational processes.
