Maryam Aminu
The Federal Government has launched a National Youth Data Bank designed to give it a clearer picture of Nigeria’s young population and help connect young Nigerians with jobs, skills training, internships, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.
The initiative, launched by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development on Tuesday, is expected to provide a central platform for information on the educational backgrounds, skills, employment status, entrepreneurial interests, locations and aspirations of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said the success of the National Youth Data Bank would depend on sustained collaboration among government ministries and agencies, state governments, educational institutions, development partners, the private sector, civil society organisations and youth groups.
Olawande said the initiative was not simply about collecting and storing information, but about using reliable data to identify young Nigerians and connect them with opportunities suited to their skills, circumstances and aspirations.
He stressed the need for inclusion, privacy and responsible management of the information, noting that young Nigerians have different experiences based on factors including location, gender, education, economic circumstances, disability and access to infrastructure.
According to the Minister, the platform is expected to improve the visibility of young people who may be missing from existing datasets, particularly those living in rural and underserved communities.
He said the initiative would also strengthen government’s ability to identify emerging needs, design targeted programmes and assess how effectively youth interventions are reaching their intended beneficiaries.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, represented by the Director, Human Resources, Olaniepekun Akinwumi Adebayo, described the initiative as an important step towards improving youth development planning.
She said credible information on the education, skills, employment status, entrepreneurial interests, locations, aspirations and vulnerabilities of young Nigerians would help government and other stakeholders better understand and respond to the needs of the country’s youth population.
Keshinro added that the Data Bank would support evidence-based policymaking, programme targeting, monitoring and evaluation, as well as better coordination among institutions working on youth development.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Youth Development, Senator Adeyemi Raphael Adaramodu, represented by the committee’s Clerk, Dr. Ijeoma Chilean, also described the initiative as a significant development for youth-focused planning.
He said reliable information on Nigeria’s young population could support legislation, policy formulation, resource allocation and the design of targeted interventions.
The Ministry said the National Youth Data Bank is intended to serve as a central platform for youth-related information and provide stakeholders with better insight into the needs, skills, aspirations and opportunities of young Nigerians.
The initiative is part of the government’s broader youth development agenda covering skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, digital transformation and human capital development. The ministry’s stated vision is to “Know the Youth, Understand the Youth, Connect the Youth and Empower the Youth.”
The launch also builds on earlier federal government plans for a Youth Data Bank. In 2024, the Presidency said the proposed bank would help provide more inclusive data to guide government decisions and youth-focused investments.
