By Uriel Ihotu
As Nigeria joins the global community to commemorate World Youth Skills Day, the Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, has called on young Nigerians to embrace future-focused skills as a pathway to personal empowerment and national development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 United Nations World Youth Skills Day held at the FCT Department of Mass Education, Karu Site, Abuja, the minister, represented by her Special Assistant (Technical), Princess Jummai Idonije, emphasized the importance of practical skills acquisition for the country’s youth population.
She urged Nigerian youths to take full advantage of the long vacation period to invest in skill-building activities that promote innovation, self-reliance, and productivity.
“In today’s world, education alone is no longer enough. Future-ready skills particularly in digital literacy, numeracy, civic responsibility, and vocational entrepreneurship are the tools with which young people can shape their destinies and contribute meaningfully to society,” she said.
Hajiya Imaan reaffirmed the Ministry’s unwavering support for skill development through gender-responsive initiatives under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. These initiatives, she noted, aim to foster youth empowerment and job creation across various sectors, including clean energy, tailoring, ICT, agro-processing, and business management.
She also stressed that a skill-driven generation is essential for Nigeria’s sustainable economic growth and social transformation.
