Health
FG Partners Institute To Turn Youth Research Into Enterprise
By Franca Ofili
The Federal Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chartered Institute of Management and Leadership Professionals Nigeria Limited, aimed at converting research results into enterprise innovation and socio-economic impact nationwide.
Dr Maryam Ismaila, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Youth Development, said this in Abuja during the signing of the MOU with the institute, describing it as a timely partnership.
According to her, the event reflects shared commitment to unlocking youth potential, stressing opportunity ahead and noting, “Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world” for progress.
She added that “Young Nigerians are generating brilliant ideas and developing innovative solutions to real-world challenges” but many remain uncommercialised, underfunded or disconnected from pathways to transformation across the country.
Ismaila said the Youth Innovate Naija Initiative would change the narrative.
“The partnership seeks to position Nigerian youth as innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders” while expanding opportunities nationwide for growth inclusion.
She added that the initiative would support young Nigerians, insisting “The initiative will support young Nigerians in turning their ideas into reality” through funding, mentorship, partnerships and market access nationwide soon.
She said the ministry and institute were committed to empowering youth, adding “The partnership will provide pathways for young Nigerians to access funding and resources” while linking innovators with mentors nationwide.
According to her, the initiative will also connect young innovators with industry experts and mentors.
This, she said would create collaboration networks to scale ideas into viable enterprises across Nigeria and beyond soon nationwide.
She emphasised the broader ambition saying “The goal is to transform Nigeria’s youth into agents of change and economic growth” through skills, enterprise support, innovation hubs and sustained public private partnerships.
In his remarks, Dr Stephen Longe, Chairman of the institute, said achieving the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda required research-driven programmes focused on developing Nigerian youth capacity, productivity and skills nationwide.
He said “We believe that this can only make possible we must ensure increase productivity skill capacity and knowledge development of our youths,” which inspired the Youth Innovates Niger programme initiative.
Accordung to Longe, that one is what gave birth to the Youth Innovates Niger which is the first of its kind in the history in Africa, aimed at national development.
He said the plan promoted collaboration, noting the programme was intending to have all the Nigerian institution together and at the same time people a non-formal educational sector” to drive development.
He said the initiative would instill leadership drive, improve management standards and strengthen professional competence across sectors while cultivating critical skills and leadership cues among emerging Nigerian professionals for economic advancement.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru
