By Brown Chimezie
Against the backdrop of Federal Government’s drive to create jobs for the Nigerian youth and lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development has created a unified platform for the youth in all the 36 States where they can get timely information on job opportunities and enhanced trainings.
Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Mr. Sunday Dare made the disclosure recently after a three-day sensitization workshop on the use of the Nigeria Online Youth Assembly (NOYA) platform held simultaneously at the National Youth Development Centre of Ode Omu in Osun State, as well as, the National Youth Development Centre, Jos, Plateau State.
According to the Minister who was represented by Mr. Segun Oke, the Director of Procurement in the Ministry, the NOYA “is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development developed in order to empower Nigeria youth by disseminating timely information on career enhancing, trainings, job and employment placement opportunities via a unified platform.
The website created for all youth to tap the opportunities is https://noya.ng/home.aspx)”, he said.
Appraising the Ministry’s achievements so far, Oke reported the Minister as saying that: “My Ministry in the last few years in the area of job and employment creation has conducted different skills acquisition and empowerment programmes as a result of the need for investment in the youth in a deliberate and planned manner and as a sustainable pathway to lifting a huge number of Nigerian youth out of poverty to sustain them in productive and viable occupational engagement.
“It is therefore, on this note that my Ministry is creating awareness and innovative opportunities for Nigerian Youth by advancing nimble values and principles, creating a safe space for networking, developing new skills, sharing ideas and flourishing together through leveraging on the Nigerian Online Youth Assembly (NOYA) to crowd source youth employment in Nigeria.
“Over the years, young persons have played vital roles in leading global movements that have changed the world despite the numerous challenges that they often face such as age and gender discrimination, lack of resources and unemployment. Therefore, permit me to say that NOYA platform tends to re-invent the future of Nigerian youth using knowledge and creativity to escape poverty traps, unemployment, immoral acts and other unhealthy plaques existing in our society.
“Having been sensitized on the various opportunities available on the NOYA platform, I urge all youth gathered here today and all Nigerian youth to take up the challenge for self-development that will support youth inclusion in Nation building. You have the potentials, the talents and energies and so take up opportunities for skills development and other opportunities that will give you a leverage in global economy”.