Buhari plans internship programme for post-NYSC graduates

President Muhammadu Buhari will soon launch a 20,000 yearly graduate job fellowship for Nigerians who have recently concluded the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, June 2, 2021, announced that the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) is a government collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the European Union (EU).

Private sector partners of the programme include BUA, Dangote, VISA Nigeria, Outsource Global, GE Gas and Power, Lafarge Africa, SecureID, Microsoft, among others.

The fully-paid internship is billed to last for 12 months, with beneficiaries posted to reputable private and public sector organisations.

Osinbajo said the programme will help equip young Nigerians with skills and experience required for the work place.

"We are resolute in our determination to make the needed difference, and rebuild the confidence of our young people in the ability of their government to rise to the occasion and guarantee a future that is better and more prosperous than the past," the VP said.

The Resident Coordinator of the United Nations Systems in Nigeria, Edward Kallon, said the programme is primed to redefine the future of Nigeria.

He noted that empowering Nigerian youths is crucial to the actualisation of a better future for Africa.

Nigeria has a staggering 33.3% unemployment rate with young people between the ages of 15 and 35 the most affected.

The nation's economy has struggled for years, with the worrying consistent rise of inflation and escalating poverty crippling the country.

The Federal Government has hailed its numerous Social Investment Programmes as addressing the problems, but critics have maintained that the success of the programmes is overrated.