The Federal Government has announced plans to engage at least 20,000 young Nigerians every year through the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0 as part of efforts to tackle unemployment and improve workplace readiness among graduates.
Under the programme, selected fellows will receive a monthly stipend of N150,000 for 12 months while gaining practical work experience across different sectors of the economy.
The disclosure was made on Thursday in Abuja by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Akubo Adegbe, during the NJFP 2.0 Abuja Job Fair themed “Building a National Workforce for the Future.”
According to Adegbe, the Federal Government is also working on a long-term sustainability plan for the initiative through the creation of a basket fund that will attract financial contributions from the Federal Government, state governments and development partners.
He explained that the move is aimed at ensuring the programme continues beyond its current funding cycle supported by the European Union.
“This programme is designed to be sustainable. The goal is to engage at least 20,000 young people annually and make the initiative sustainable over time,” Adegbe said.
“Beyond being just a programme, the government is working with partners to establish what we call a basket fund. This fund will receive contributions from the Federal Government, state governments and development partners to ensure the programme continues beyond the current intervention supported by the European Union.”
The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme is one of the Federal Government’s flagship youth employability initiatives. The programme is funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The initiative was created to address the growing gap between formal education and workplace expectations in Nigeria, especially as employers continue to complain about the lack of practical experience among graduates entering the labour market.
Nigeria currently faces a major youth employment challenge, with hundreds of thousands of graduates entering the workforce yearly while many struggle to secure jobs due to limited industry exposure and insufficient practical skills.
Adegbe said the programme is focused on helping young Nigerians become employable by exposing them to real workplace environments where they can build experience and develop professional skills.
“The NJFP has been designed to address a fundamental problem that we have as a nation – the bridge between school and the workplace,” he stated.
“The government remains committed to this programme because we must continue to bridge that gap and create opportunities for our young people.”
He further explained that employers often reject applicants because they lack workplace experience, adding that the fellowship programme was designed to solve that challenge.
“The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme, at its core, is designed to solve a work-placement problem. Employers often say that our young people do not have the skills they require,” he added.
“What we have done is create a programme that gives young people the opportunity to learn skills in a workplace environment, making them employable, whether in the same organisation, another organisation or through entrepreneurship.”
Apart from workplace exposure and skills development, Adegbe noted that the N150,000 monthly stipend provided to fellows would also help address the financial challenges many young Nigerians face while searching for employment opportunities.
“We want to bridge the gap between education and the workplace. Apart from the skills and job opportunities it provides, the programme also gives young people a monthly stipend of N150,000 for 12 months, which helps address their livelihood needs,” he said.
Stakeholders at the event described the initiative as a major intervention for Nigeria’s workforce development, especially as more than 600,000 graduates reportedly enter the labour market every year.
The Abuja Job Fair attracted employers, development organisations, government institutions and young professionals from different sectors.
Senior Economics Adviser to the UNDP Nigeria Resident Representative, Tony Muhumuza, described the event as more than just a placement exercise, saying it was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s workforce system.
“This is not just a placement drive; we are building Nigeria’s workforce,” Muhumuza said.
“Over two days, we aim to engage up to 500 host organisations and move up to 1,300 fellows into active placement.”
Also speaking at the event, Head of Inclusive Growth at UNDP Nigeria and NJFP Programme Lead, Clare Henshaw, disclosed that more than 500 employers and about 1,500 fellows participated in the Abuja job fair.
According to her, participants had already gone through extensive screening processes, including Computer-Based Tests (CBT) and psychometric assessments before being shortlisted for placement opportunities.
Henshaw expressed confidence that many of the fellows would begin work almost immediately after the job fair.
“Our expectation is that all 1,500 fellows participating in this event will secure placements and begin work as early as next week,” she said.
She also revealed that UNDP had introduced monitoring and accountability systems to ensure the success of the programme, including attendance verification, employer reporting processes and spot checks.
The NJFP 2.0 Abuja Job Fair featured direct interviews, workforce orientation sessions, employer briefings and structured matching opportunities across sectors such as technology, healthcare, agriculture, engineering, education, government, business services, environment and energy.
The Federal Government believes the programme will not only improve youth employability but also support inclusive economic growth by preparing young Nigerians for long-term career opportunities and entrepreneurship.
