• Nigeria will spend 158 bln naira ($104.9m) to train 650,000 youths in technical and digital skills.

• The plan includes upgrading education infrastructure, with electricity for universities.

• Youth unemployment rose to 8.6% in Q3 2023 despite past education and skills programs.

Nigeria is betting on vocational training to create jobs and equip its young population with market-ready skills.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto last week, Minister of State for Education Suwaiba Ahmad announced an investment of 158 billion naira ($104.85 million). The program aims to train 650,000 young Nigerians in technical, vocational, and digital skills aligned with emerging industries and labor market needs.

Ahmad said the initiative reflects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving the future and well-being of the country’s youth. She added that education infrastructure will also be strengthened, with rural electrification projects supplying power to several universities to create better learning environments.

According to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, youth unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 stood at 8.6% in Q3 2023, up 1.4% from the previous quarter. Yet a June 2025 Afrobarometer analysis found that successive education and skills initiatives have struggled to bring lasting change. Expanding Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) alongside infrastructure improvements, is expected to help reverse the trend and support Nigeria’s demographic and economic transition.

Other African countries have taken similar steps. Ghana has recently made TVET central to its industrial strategy, while Kenya has for years invested in skills development to better align education with market demand. Nigeria’s initiative follows this path, aiming for tangible results for both its youth and the regional labor market.