The World Youth Skills Day (WYSD) event was held on 14 July 2023 at Anambra Hall, Transcorp Hilton, Abuja. It was an intergenerational dialogue between leaders and young Nigerians in the green economy, digital economy and creative sector in Nigeria.
It aimed to bring together key players in youth development to discuss opportunities and ensure young people are adequately prepared for the present and future labour market. The event focused on the importance of providing young people with relevant skills for decent work, employment, and entrepreneurship, while also addressing the challenges faced by Nigerian youth in the context of skills development and employment. The following report outlines the key highlights, activities, and outcomes of the WYSD event.
The International Labour Organisation (IL0) in partnership with the Network of Youth for Sustainable Initiative (NGYouthSDGs), Africado Foundation, Mind the Gap and Youth Employ hosted an intergenerational dialogue between leaders and young Nigerians in the green economy, digital economy and creative sector in Nigeria. The one-day event brought together various stakeholders, including representatives from the private sector, youth corps, and youth leaders to dialogue on skills opportunities and challenges in the green, digital and creative sectors.
Creating Decent Work for Youth in the Digital and Green Economy
The event commenced with the registration of participants, red carpet interviews and pictures allowing informal interaction and networking opportunities among attendees. To kickstart the event, the national anthem was taken by Enioluwa Adeoluwa, who was MC for the event.
Ms. Vanessa Phala, Country Director, ILO delivered the welcome address, highlighting the critical role of skills development in preparing youths for the 21st century challenges and opportunities. She emphasized the need for youths to embrace the power of partnership and collaboration. Mr Tony Cole, Co-Founder of Sahara Group charged the youths on the need to always be prepared, think long term and the need to never let an opportunity pass.
Goodwill messages were delivered by Mr Lanre Yusuf, a Representative from DG NECA, in his statement he noted that this is a digital era and digital literacy is a crucial skill for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. It is essential for participating in the modern workspace, and accessing information and services online. Mrs. Esuabana Nko-Asanye, The Permanent Secretary, who represented the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, admonished the youth audience to maximize their time efficiently so as to compete globally. She noted that the government is taking steps to shape the Nigerian youth sector which consists of 65 percent of the nation’s population. Furthermore, she highlighted that youths have demonstrated their adaptability and resilience by leveraging digital platforms to acquire skills and proffer innovative solutions. Mr Usman Ibrahim, a representative from the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports spoke on the National Youth Policy and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing digital skills and training for one million youths in Nigeria.
The Keynote speeches were delivered by various key players in the digital, green and creative sectors. Ms. Aisha Tofa on Digital Transformation and Opportunities for Youth. She challenged the youth to stop waiting on the government and remarked “It is up to youths to create the change we want to see”. She emphasized the need to build skills and capacity to manage opportunities. Ms Saidat Shonoki delivered her speech on Innovations and Best Practices in the Green Economy:
A powerful spoken word performance was presented by Zakari. The panel discussion was hosted by Dayo and Blaq Coffee, on the topic “Skills for Success in the Digital, Green, and Creative Sectors; Fostering Collaboration and Mentorship between Youth and Industry Leaders.” The session panellists included Ms Lasisi Adejoke, Ms Iklima Musa, Mr Jide Janadu, Mr Lanre Yusuf and Mr Ernest Yusuf.
The question and answer session was hosted by Ms Hadassah Okandeji, Program Manager NGYouthSDGs and Mr Femi Akinfemi, Founder of Youth Employ. They received questions from the audience and the panelist responded. Finally, Mr Richard, Founder of Africado Foundation, offered a vote of thanks. He thanked all the participants for their presence and active engagement in the session, and acknowledged the valuable contributions of stakeholders and partners. Mr Segun Tekun, SocialProtection Officer/Youth Focal Point Person, launched the ILO Skill Challenge Innovation Call.
NGYouthSDGs is focused on supporting young people with the skills they need to engage with policymakers and youth stakeholders to creating decent jobs for youth.
