FG pledges commitment to youth education, digital skills
By SUMAYYAH ADEFAKA
The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigerian youths through education and digital skills development, describing them as central to the country’s ambition to emerge as a strong and competitive global force.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stated this on Saturday while delivering a lecture titled “Youth and Nation Building: Navigating Opportunities in an Era of National Reforms,” at the 34th Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, Niger State.
Addressing graduating students and other stakeholders, Idris described Nigeria as a youthful nation with enormous potential, emphasising that the country’s future would largely be determined by how its young population is educated, skilled and productively engaged.
“Nigeria, like the rest of Africa, happens to be a very youthful country, with half of our population under the age of 20, and three-quarters under the age of 35.
“With the right education, skilling, and preparation for the rapidly transforming workspaces of the 21st century, Nigeria will be an unstoppable global force,” the minister said.
He explained that the reforms being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration were deliberate and unavoidable steps aimed at resetting Nigeria’s economic and governance architecture, noting that sustainable nation-building could not be achieved without reforms.
“There is no nation-building without reforms. Reforms protect us from the trap of doing the same thing repeatedly while expecting different results,” Idris noted.
The minister cited key policy measures such as the removal of petrol subsidy, foreign exchange unification and the introduction of new tax laws, explaining that they were designed not to burden citizens but to create a fairer, more transparent and investment-friendly system capable of unlocking resources for development.
“The goal was never to take more from Nigerians, but to simplify taxation and make it fairer and more transparent,” he said.
According to him, the reforms are already yielding results, including renewed investor confidence and expanded opportunities in sectors such as technology, agriculture, renewable energy and the creative economy, with Nigerian youths positioned as the primary beneficiaries.
Idris also highlighted government-backed initiatives to ease access to education, particularly the National Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which he said has supported hundreds of thousands of students across the country.
“Through NELFUND, we have incontrovertible proof that the Renewed Hope Agenda is real, functional, impactful and transformational,” the minister said.
He therefore urged the graduating students to see themselves as active builders of the nation, encouraging them to engage with available opportunities, continuously develop their skills, embrace lifelong learning and consider public service as a platform for meaningful national contribution.
“You can build from where you are, with what you have. You do not need to wait until you have amassed wealth or influence before contributing to nation-building. Start now,” Idris stated.
