The World Bank Nigeria Office has announced plans to train 200,000 young people through its Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project.
This 5-year initiative aims to enhance skills acquisition in Nigeria, employing a comprehensive approach to address key aspects of the skills development delivery system.
Dilip Parajuli, the Task Team Leader of the program, mentioned that despite challenges, the World Bank is making progress towards its objectives.
He highlighted the substantial number of youths targeted, emphasizing that approximately ten million young individuals are currently not in school and unemployed.
The initial goal is to start with 200,000 youths as a pilot to demonstrate the project’s effectiveness.
Parajuli, an economist with the World Bank, explained that the success and expansion of the training program to 500,000 youths would depend on the government’s counterpart funding. He underscored the importance of this initiative in providing evidence of its viability.
Dr. Mrs. Muyibat Adenike Olodo, representing the Federal Ministry of Education, expressed the government’s commitment to ensuring that youths acquire skills making them employable.
She highlighted the President’s dedication to youth development and skill acquisition as a driving force behind the project.
The National Coordinator of the IDEAS project, Mrs. Blessing Ogwu, shared that although the program was approved in 2020, it only commenced in 2022.
She attributed the delay in implementation to the slow disbursement of funds and acknowledged challenges faced at the state level due to inadequate training.
Addressing the project’s progress towards its objectives, Ogwu acknowledged that there were challenges, particularly regarding the insufficient training of individuals at the state level.
Despite these setbacks, she expressed confidence in meeting the set targets for the project.
