A skills development initiative supported by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the European Union (EU) is targeting 3,400 young people across Kano, Jigawa and Sokoto states to improve their access to employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable livelihoods.

The Youth Employability and Skills Project (YESP), being implemented by Yaba College of Technology in partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), is expected to address skills gaps among young people and strengthen their capacity to participate in the labour market.

The programme will cover 30 selected local government areas across the three states, with Kano accounting for 1,200 beneficiaries, while Jigawa and Sokoto will each have 1,100 participants.

Project Coordinator Funmilayo Doherty disclosed this at the launch and induction training in Kano, where participants were introduced to the Global Record Book, National Skills Qualification and guidelines on the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.

She said the initiative was designed to equip beneficiaries with practical competencies that would improve their productivity, support enterprise development and enable them to contribute to the economic development of their communities.

Doherty noted that Nigeria’s growing youth population represented a significant economic resource, but stressed that unlocking its potential required deliberate investment in skills that reflected the changing demands of the labour market.

According to her, the project would place particular emphasis on young women and vulnerable youths, especially those facing greater barriers to education, training and employment opportunities.

She also urged employers, businesses and industry leaders to provide internship placements, apprenticeships, mentorship and employment opportunities for participants after their training.

She said such partnerships would help bridge the gap between skills acquisition and actual employment, ensuring that beneficiaries could translate their newly acquired competencies into sustainable sources of income.

The UNICEF Representative at its Kano Field Office, Shafeeq Ur Rehman, said the partnership with the European Union and other implementing institutions reflected a shared commitment to investing in young people as drivers of economic growth, innovation and sustainable development.

He said equipping youths with relevant skills was important to improving their economic prospects and strengthening their contributions to society.

Similarly, Ibraheem Abdul, Rector of Yaba College of Technology, represented by the Deputy Rector, Ismail Badmus, said the institution was committed to expanding access to technical and vocational education.

Abdul disclosed that the college was targeting 18,000 young people through various skills acquisition programmes as part of its broader efforts to promote employability and economic empowerment.

The YESP will provide training in digital, green, technical, vocational and entrepreneurial skills, alongside pathways designed to connect beneficiaries with employment and enterprise development opportunities.

The involvement of the ITF and Yaba College of Technology is expected to strengthen the technical delivery of the programme, while collaboration with employers will be critical to determining how effectively the training translates into jobs and viable businesses.

The initiative comes amid persistent concerns over youth unemployment and the mismatch between the skills acquired by young Nigerians and those demanded by employers, particularly in the country’s northern region, where access to technical training and formal employment remains a development challenge.