FG, GIZ push skills-to-jobs link to tackle youth unemployment – Daily Trust

The Federal Government and the German growth company, GIZ, have known as for stronger hyperlinks between abilities growth and employment alternatives to assist Nigerian youths safe jobs and allow companies to discover certified staff.

They made the decision on the Abuja Job and Career Fair 2026, the place authorities officers and growth companions careworn the necessity for improved profession steerage, efficient job-matching providers and nearer cooperation with employers.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, stated the federal government was dedicated to increasing entry to employment via public job centres and the National Electronic Labour Exchange (NELEX), a digital platform designed to join job seekers with employers.

He stated the nation’s youthful inhabitants might contribute considerably to nationwide growth if younger individuals acquired related abilities and had entry to significant financial alternatives.

Dingyadi, who declared the honest open, recognized abilities mismatches, casual employment and difficulties connecting job seekers with employers as challenges requiring coordinated motion.

He stated the honest offered alternatives for recruitment, profession counselling, skilled networking and abilities growth, with classes protecting office readiness, entrepreneurship, digitalisation and migration pathways.

The minister known as on employers to look past educational {qualifications} when assessing candidates and think about their talents, potential and willingness to study.

Mrs Oladoyin Olayi, Organisational Development Coordinator at GIZ Nigeria, stated the organisation had labored with the Ministry of Labour and Employment for eight years to strengthen employment providers within the nation.

Representing GIZ Country Director Dr Marcus Wagner, she stated the partnership had supported job centres, vocational coaching, labour migration recommendation, enterprise digitalisation and entrepreneurship.

Olayi disclosed that 11 job centres had been established throughout 5 states below the Skills Development for Youth Programme, with 4 extra centres deliberate.

She stated the centres had served greater than 65,000 individuals, over half of them ladies, by offering profession steerage, connecting job seekers with vacancies and referring them to coaching alternatives.

On labour migration, Olayi stated greater than 31,000 individuals had obtained recommendation on common migration since 2023, whereas over 14,000 had been referred to qualification programmes in sectors together with hospitality, info and communications know-how, building, renewable vitality and style.

She stated greater than 3,600 Nigerians coming back from overseas had additionally obtained help to evaluate their livelihoods.

Olamide Adeyeye, Country Head of Programme at Jobberman Nigeria, stated bodily profession festivals remained vital regardless of the rising use of digital recruitment platforms.

He stated many younger individuals continued to face obstacles to accessing on-line employment alternatives due to their location, gender, monetary circumstances and restricted entry to digital assets.

He stated bringing employers and job seekers collectively bodily allowed candidates to reveal their capabilities, ask questions and set up skilled relationships.

Adeyeye disclosed that greater than 150,000 individuals had secured jobs via job festivals, profession occasions and job centres previously yr, describing direct engagement as an vital means to join certified candidates with employers.

He stated employment initiatives should focus not solely on getting ready younger individuals for work but in addition on making certain that appropriate alternatives had been accessible to them.

Adeyeye urged individuals to have interaction actively with recruiters and profit from the coaching classes, whereas encouraging employers to recognise the potential of candidates past their CVs.