The Federal Government has entered into a partnership with the Africa Projects Development Centre (APDC) to revitalise Youth Development Centres across Nigeria, with a view to equipping young people with market-relevant skills and improving their employability.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader efforts to tackle unemployment and promote sustainable development nationwide.
The partnership was formalised at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja. Under the agreement, existing youth centres will be transformed into modern training and incubation hubs offering vocational, technical, digital, and entrepreneurial skills.
The skills programmes are designed to align with the needs of high-growth sectors and to provide young Nigerians with access to innovation opportunities, mentorship, and markets.
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said the partnership would inject critical capacity into the nation’s youth infrastructure.
“The partnership will introduce much-needed technical expertise, private-sector efficiency, and innovative funding models to restore youth centres to functional standards,” he said.
He added that the collaboration represents a shared commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive framework for youth development in Nigeria.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Development, Dr. Maryam Ismaila Kenshiro, said the partnership would prioritise the transformation of youth centres into functional training facilities delivering skills programmes tailored to current labour market demands.
“APDC brings proven expertise in project design, capacity building, and youth incubation, which will complement the Ministry’s mandate and enhance programme delivery, monitoring, and evaluation,” she said.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of APDC, Dr. ChijiOjukwu, described the partnership as the outcome of sustained engagement and a shared vision with the Ministry to scale youth empowerment programmes across the country.
He noted that the collaboration is expected to strengthen the Ministry’s institutional capacity in donor engagement, project implementation, and results-based monitoring and evaluation, ensuring measurable impact and value for money.
