By Muhammad Amaan
The World Bank has earmarked $60 million to benefit 75,000 Nigerian youths under the Innovation, Development, and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project of the Ministry of Education.
World Bank Education Specialist, Ms Mistura Rufai, disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday at the Contract/Memorandum of Understanding Signing and Implementation Workshop of the Nigerian Youth Employment Through Skills Acquisition Fund (NYESAF).
Rufai said the project aims to enhance the capacity of Nigeria’s skills development system to provide training for both the formal and informal sectors.
“The IDEAS Project is currently a project of about $130 million, but for this component of the (NYESAF) project, we’re looking at about $60 million for the results.
“And the NYESAF component is focusing on education, employment, or training. It looks at using result-based contracting to provide short-duration training for youths.
“So, for this cohort that we have, we’re looking at training about 75,000 trainees going forward. The cost of training will vary based on the trades and based on the market prices that the Training Service Providers (TSPs),” she said.
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said the project, which consists of four components, is designed to transform the landscape of youth employment and skills development.
Dr Alausa, represented by the IDEAS Project National Coordinator, Mrs Blessing Ogwu, explained that empowering youths with skills is not just an investment, but an important building block for the long-term development of the country.
According to him, the first component focuses on technical education, the second on the informal sector, the third on technical teacher education, while the fourth is the Innovation Grant Fund (IGF).
“We are not merely signing contracts; we are laying the foundation for a stronger, more resilient workforce through collaboration with our partners, stakeholders, and committed institutions.
“This will create a lasting impact on the lives of thousands of Nigerian youths,” he said.
One of the training providers, Dr Abdul Ahmed from the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gombe, said the project would equip youths with the necessary skills to lead meaningful lives.
Dr Ahmed, who stated that the college would be providing training in the auto-mechanical sector, pledged to fulfil its mandate of equipping Nigerian youths with the requisite knowledge in the field.
The Project Contractor, Ndem Ndiyo, explained that the training curriculum would align with the National Occupational Standards (NOS).
Ndiyo added that the approved National Skills Qualification (NSQ) curriculum of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) would be used, enabling trainees to work anywhere in the world.
The IDEAS Project is a five-year programme focused on reducing unemployment among Nigerian youths aged between 15 and 35.
