Vice President Shettima Launches Nigeria Jubilee Program To Enhance Skills, Job Opportunities For Graduates

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Monday inaugurated the Steering Committee of the Nigeria Jubilee Program (NJFP), which aimed to improve employment opportunities and enhance the skills of fresh graduates so they are ready for the job market.

The NJFP was a Nigerian government initiative being implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) with initial funding from the European Union (EU), and was coordinated by the vice president's office.

Shettima pointed out that the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Program was not just an employment initiative, but was a way to encourage youth-driven innovation, employability and entrepreneurship.

"Programs like this are a decisive step toward equipping our youth with the tools to become not just employees but also innovators and leaders in their respective fields," he said, as per the official statement issued on X.

"The NJFP has made commendable progress, and it is now time to build on that foundation to provide a wider coverage through innovative adaptations that ensure that this program does not just provide job placements but also emphasizes the development of key skills through practical, real-world applications."

Shettima noted that Nigeria was actively working to address climate change. However, he emphasized that these efforts will not be fully effective unless everyone works together to tackle the threats posed by climate change, which he described as a serious problem to the country's existence.

NJFP has been launched to help Nigerian graduates find meaningful jobs and to develop a scalable model that addresses the root causes of rising unemployment and underemployment in the country.

While launching the NJFP Steering Committee at the State House in Abuja, Shettima called the program an important step by President Bola Tinubu's administration to equip Nigerian youth with the skills they need to become employees, innovators, and leaders in their careers.

Shettima emphasized that the way to make a massive impact is by incorporating lasting, transformative learning experiences into the program's structure.

Recognizing that youth unemployment was a major challenge in Nigeria, the vice president urged stakeholders and development partners to work together to address this issue before it threatened the nation's future.