The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), European Union (EU), Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) and the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) have introduced a skills development programme aimed at equipping 3,400 young Nigerians with practical competencies for employment and entrepreneurship.

The initiative, known as the Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP), will cover Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states, with a focus on digital technology, environmentally sustainable occupations and business development.

Speaking at the launch in Kano, UNICEF Kano Field Office Education Specialist, Heinrich Rukundo, said the partnership reflected a shared commitment to making young people active contributors to economic growth, innovation and sustainable development.

He noted that Nigeria’s youthful population represented a significant economic opportunity, but stressed that young people needed relevant training to remain competitive as technology, climate change and economic transformation continued to reshape the labour market.

YABATECH Rector, Ibraheem Abdul, represented by the institution’s Deputy Rector, Ismail Badmus, described the programme as a strategic intervention to address the growing demand for market-relevant technical and vocational skills.

Abdul said the initiative would build on the college’s existing training programmes, including its ICT Skills Hub, Digital Technology Academy and other technology-focused interventions designed to expand access to digital education.

YESP Project Coordinator, Funmilayo Doherty, disclosed that the programme would cover 10 areas of training, including solar photovoltaic installation, climate-smart poultry production, agro-processing, waste recycling, climate-smart irrigation, computer hardware maintenance and GSM repairs.

She explained that the training areas would be selected through consultations with community stakeholders to ensure they reflect local economic needs and available employment opportunities.

The programme will align its training and assessments with the National Occupational Standards and National Skills Qualification Framework, giving participants the opportunity to obtain National Skills Qualification Level 2 and YABATECH certificates.

Beneficiaries will also receive post-training support through Community Entrepreneurship Hubs, which are expected to help them develop business ideas, access mentorship and translate their newly acquired skills into sustainable livelihoods.

The partnership is expected to strengthen access to vocational education while improving the prospects of young people seeking employment or looking to establish their own businesses.