As part of the partnership initiative between the Federal Ministry of Education (FME)/IDEAS Project and The World Bank, about 50,000 youths will be trained in computer skills through innovation grants.
The initiative is comprehensive vocational training to assist the youths in being eligible for proper jobs and furnish post-placement assistance to continuously make them employable.
Dilip Parajuli, Senior Economist, Education Global Practice at the World Bank revealed that the 50,000 youths is quite small compared to about 3.6 million youths that apply to the labour market yearly. This he disclosed while addressing questions at the FME/IDEAS Midterm Review Meeting held at the Palms Hotel, Abuja.
He expressed that, though the world cannot cater for such programs on a scale of 3.6 million youths, he believes addressing 50,000 to about 200,000 will still make an impact; adding that the main focus is to accomplish within 5 years, all components of the program.
He explained that the duration of the project is between 2020 when it was approved to June 2025. He further noted that the aim of the project is to develop a pact of framework so that similar initiatives can benefit other people in the future.
The Senior Economist reiterated that the World Bank is ready to support the government in achieving its goals. He praised the initiative and dialogues on its execution and potential design.
The program is aimed at fresh graduates and dropouts who have an interest in learning foundational, computer-based, or trade-specific abilities.
Though it is a small-scale program, it is aimed at furnishing a framework for quick upgrading across Nigeria, with plans to reach out to a large number of youths who require these skills over the next 18 months.
