BoI, youths ministry launch skills programme for 500 Nigerian youths

Bank of Industry (BoI) and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development have launched a pilot programme to equip 500 young Nigerians with vocational, manufacturing, digital and entrepreneurial skills to tackle unemployment and promote business creation.

The programme, known as the BoI Youth Empowerment Pilot Programme was lunched on Wednesday October 21 and aims to provide free training, mentorship, practical experience and enterprise support to help participants establish and sustain businesses.

The initiative will be delivered by Sapphital, a digital learning and technology company, through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA), using short, instructor-led video courses.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of BoI, Dr Olasupo Olusi, said the programme would equip young Nigerians with the skills and support needed to develop viable businesses.

In a statement by the bank’s Divisional Head of Public Relations, Theodora Amechi, Olusi said the initiative went beyond conventional training by connecting participants with mentorship and opportunities to establish sustainable enterprises.

He said the partnership with the ministry and Sapphital would provide a model that could be expanded nationwide to reach more young people.

The training will cover creative and artisan trades, production and manufacturing, and digital skills, with courses selected based on their income-generating potential and market demand.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the initiative reflected the Federal Government’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with the skills needed to compete in the global economy.

He said youth empowerment and training were central to President Bola Tinubu’s reform agenda, adding that the programme would help participants adapt to changing employment and business opportunities.

BoI supports businesses through financing and business development services to promote industrial growth, job creation, poverty reduction and economic diversification.

Youth and skills development is one of the bank’s six thematic focus areas, aimed at improving employability and supporting entrepreneurship among younger Nigerians.

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