IDEAS Projects To Engage 200,000 Youths – World Bank

The World Bank has said the Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project in Nigeria will engage 200,000 youths with the necessary skills and jobs.

According to the bank, the project does not include tertiary institution graduates but those with secondary school certificates who will be trained for already existing jobs.

Speaking in Abuja, World Bank economist, Dilip Parajuli, said as the task team leader of the IDEA project housed at the Federal Ministry of Education said they expect that when the project is restructured and the new components ready by June.

Parajuli said the target beneficiaries of the programme are 15-30 year-old youths who have secondary education.

“This programme does not cover college graduates. There are other programmes that target university graduates. This targets those youths who are out of school, and not as educated, and also not employed.

Also speaking, the director, Technology and Science Education, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. Mrs. Muyibat Adenike Olodo, who represented the Minister of Education, said the federal government knows the commitment and passion that the president has for youths, especially in the area of skills acquisition.

“The Federal Ministry of Education, the honorable Minister and the honorable Minister of State are already committed to delivering the agenda, especially the mandates of the Federal Ministry of Education in this regard.

“So many things have been committed, efforts are ongoing as you have seen, to ensure that many of our youths are captured when it comes to skill acquisition,” she said.

National Coordinator of IDEAS Project, Mrs Blessing Ogwu, said though the IDEAS project was approved in 2020, but that it didn’t start until 2022.