Minister reaffirms commitment to youth empowerment
October 17, 2025 | Abuja
The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, has reaffirmed his commitment to youth empowerment through sustained support for innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaborative programmes that drive national development.
Speaking at the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) Startup Pitch 1.0 Empowerment Programme in Abuja, Olawande said the initiative was designed to equip young Nigerians with the skills and opportunities to succeed in today’s competitive economy.
He explained that projects such as NiYA Startup Pitch, NiYA Jobs, and NiYA Academy are part of a broader strategy to build an ecosystem for youth empowerment, enabling learning, earning, and innovation. https://fmyd.gov.ng
“Through NiYA Gigs, NiYA Jobs, NiYA Academy, and now NiYA StartUp, we are creating a complete ecosystem that supports youth – from training to business growth,” Olawande said.
“NiYA connects skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The NiYA StartUp Pitch 1.0 is more than a competition; it shows what happens when young Nigerians are given the chance to turn creativity into impact.”
He added that the Federal Government plans to replicate the NiYA project across all states with expanded partnerships to ensure Nigerian youths are productively engaged – a major pillar of youth empowerment. https://niya.ng
Similarly, Mr Amu Ogbeide, Chief Executive Officer of Sapphital, the ministry’s technical and implementing partner, described the NiYA platform as a comprehensive system that equips young people with digital tools, mentorship, and funding. https://sapphital.com
“Sapphital is the technical and implementing partner to the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. Together with the minister, we have built an ecosystem called NiYA,” Ogbeide said.
He said the platform integrates key components such as NiYA Home, Job Portal, and the NiYA Startup Hub – all designed to promote youth empowerment and nurture innovation.
“What you witnessed today is one of our startup competitions where we identified young Nigerians with brilliant ideas. We are providing them with mentorship, digital tools, and seed funding to help them thrive,” Ogbeide added.
He stressed that the selection process was transparent and merit-based, free of political or personal influence.
“The judges reviewed only the ideas, not the names or locations. That is how we will continue to operate – with fairness and transparency,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Oluyomi Deborah, who received a startup grant, described the initiative as a “life-changing opportunity” that demonstrates the government’s genuine commitment to youth empowerment.
“This initiative by NiYA is very impactful. It is wonderful to see what the Nigerian Government is doing for youths nationwide,” she said.
“It’s encouraging to see this beautiful project supporting startups across Nigeria, and I am so happy to be a beneficiary.” http://gmtnewsng.com
