President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday in Abuja urged Nigerian youths to boldly pursue their ambitions for national and global relevance, assuring them that the Federal Government will continue to support innovative initiatives.
He emphasized that creativity and innovation remain key tools for young people to gain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving world shaped by digital and emerging technologies.
The President delivered the message at the unveiling of the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA GIGS) platform and the Grant Award Ceremony, organized by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development under the theme: “One Youth, Two Skills.”
The programme is designed to support 300 young Nigerians by providing grants to 200 from the formal sector and 100 from the informal sector of the economy.
The President, represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, emphasised that youths are central to his administration’s developmental agenda, restating the commitment to ensuring the younger generation continues the task of nation-building, promoting innovation, skills acquisition, and talent nurturing.
“Build boldly, innovate courageously, scale fearlessly. You are the generation that will continue the task of building this nation. I am particularly happy to hear about the potential partnership with the UAE. I therefore urge you to continue to deploy your youthful ideas, creativity, and energy to drive the growth and development of this country.”
President Tinubu affirmed his administration’s commitment to youth empowerment, stating that the government will continue to prioritise efforts to create and expand job opportunities.
“From the early days of this administration, I have made a firm decision; the Nigerian youth will not stand on the margins of our national development. This commitment is not political; it is personal. Throughout our nation’s journey, every major leap—from innovation to civic renewal—has been driven by the boundless energy, intelligence, and boldness of young Nigerians.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday highlighted his administration’s commitment to empowering Nigerian youths through innovation, entrepreneurship, and skill development. Speaking in Abuja at the unveiling of the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA GIGS) platform and Grant Award Ceremony, he emphasized the importance of providing young Nigerians with multiple pathways to succeed.
“Alongside these reforms, we have expanded support programmes across technology, agriculture, manufacturing, the creative industry, and green energy skills to ensure that young innovators have multiple pathways to succeed,” the President said. “Everything we do is part of a broader ecosystem of empowerment that this administration has intentionally designed.”
President Tinubu further noted that extensive regulatory reforms had been implemented to remove bottlenecks for small businesses, while tax regimes were streamlined to ease compliance for young entrepreneurs. He highlighted government incentives targeting the digital and creative economy and expanded access to consumer credit and enterprise financing for millions of youths.
“All these interventions are shaped by one goal: to build an economy where the ambition of a young Nigerian is never limited by bureaucracy or lack of opportunity,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to advancing digital skills, innovation, and enterprise, the President declared that Nigeria cannot afford to leave its youth behind. “As we build the next generation of Nigerian founders, we are also opening a new frontier of opportunity through business outsourcing and the gig economy. With the official launch of NIYA GIGS, we are introducing a national platform for freelancing and digital services that connects young Nigerians to paid work locally and globally. Nigeria cannot afford to stand aside; our young people have the talent, the digital fluency, and creativity to become global service providers, exporting Nigerian services worldwide.”
Through initiatives such as NIYA Academy, NIYA Startup, NIYA GIGS, and NIYA Jobs, the President said, “we are linking skills to markets, ideas to capital, and young people to real prosperity… Note that the grant you are getting today is not a prize; it is a vote of confidence from your nation.”
Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, described the launch as a deliberate effort to recognize, celebrate, and integrate the creativity and resourcefulness of Nigerian youths into national development. He noted that NIYA now represents a comprehensive ecosystem supporting both formal and informal sector entrepreneurship.
“We are here, for the first time in the history of this country, to build the informal sector and ensure that we provide tools and livelihoods for them. Over 200 youth-led startups will receive One Million Naira each to start their businesses, and for the first time, we are extending this support directly to young people in the informal sector, with over 100 recipients receiving N500,000 each,” Olawande said.
He emphasized the platform’s global potential: “The NIYA GIGS will open doors for all Nigerian youths, not just to seek crumbs, but to compete on a global scale and generate sustainable income for themselves.”
In a goodwill message, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, described the launch as a testament to Nigeria’s commitment to placing young people at the centre of development. “The Startup Grant Award Ceremony and the official flag-off of NIYA GIGS mark an important milestone in nurturing youth-led businesses and accelerating skill development nationwide. These initiatives are practical, forward-looking, and deliberately designed to stimulate entrepreneurship, strengthen digital and vocational competencies, and deepen the creativity and resilience that define the Nigerian people,” he said.
Members of the Federal Executive Council and senior government officials attended the launch.