FG Unveils Plan to Create 20,000 Jobs Annually
The federal government has unveiled an ambitious plan to create at least 20,000 jobs annually through the second phase of the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), designed to connect high-potential graduates with real-world work experience, mentorship, and training opportunities.
Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to formally flag off the NJFP 2.0 and declare open a high-level policy dialogue on job creation tomorrow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Themed “From Skills to Jobs and Enterprises: Driving Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship in Key Economic Sectors,” the event will bring together policymakers, private-sector leaders, and development partners to chart strategies for expanding youth employment and enterprise development.
Ahead of the launch, the Vice President on Monday inaugurated the NJFP Project Steering Committee, charging members to ensure inclusivity and measurable impact across all regions of the country.
Shettima described the NJFP as a “deliberate attempt to translate Nigeria’s demographic strength into productive economic power,” stressing that its success depends on deep collaboration among government, private sector, and development partners.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, “the goal of the NJFP is to bridge the transition gap between learning and earning for thousands of young graduates with the required education but no job opportunity.
“We have an opportunity here to demonstrate what partnership done right can achieve: where government leads with clarity, partners contribute with confidence, and results speak for themselves”, he said.
He emphasised that inclusivity must remain central to the programme’s design.
“Our young people are not a homogenous group. They live in different realities across regions, genders, and social backgrounds. We must ensure that this opportunity reaches every corner of the country — and that placements are tied to sectors that will shape Nigeria’s future: agriculture, digital technology, renewable energy, manufacturing, and the creative industries,” the Vice President stated.
The NJFP, coordinated by the Office of the Vice President, is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding support from the European Union (EU).
The first phase, launched in 2022, empowered over 14,000 young Nigerians through paid 12-month fellowships that provided career experience and mentorship.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot, expressed optimism that the NJFP 2.0 would transform the lives of thousands of Nigerian youth, noting that the EU’s partnership with the Federal Government aims to “optimise the full mandate of the programme.”
Similarly, UNDP Resident Representative, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, described the initiative as part of a larger continental vision for youth empowerment.
She praised the Tinubu administration’s focus on inclusive job creation, saying the UNDP is proud to help build an “ecosystem that creates jobs and fosters innovation across Nigeria.”
Briefing journalists ahead of Wednesday’s ceremony, Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, said the second phase of the programme has been redesigned to reflect current economic realities and lessons from the first phase.
“The new phase, supported by the European Union, will place a minimum of 24,000 fellows over the next 10 months. It supports the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises job creation, skills development, and youth empowerment as key pillars of Nigeria’s economic transformation”, he explained.
According to him, NJFP 2.0 introduces two clear pathways for every fellow: “a pathway to employment through extended professional placements, and a pathway to entrepreneurship through business mentorship and enterprise support.”
The idea, Hadejia said, is to ensure that “every fellow is empowered to either secure meaningful employment or launch a viable business in strategic sectors of the economy at the end of the fellowship.”
He described the NJFP as “a bold and practical response to the aspirations of young Nigerians — a generation of problem-solvers and innovators who only need opportunity to thrive,” adding that “this administration is not only focused on policy; it is focused on impact.”