Abuja: The Federal Government is partnering with the IHK Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce in Germany to train young Nigerians in vocational and technical skills, aiming to boost youth empowerment and employability.
The Chief Executive Officer of the IHK Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce, Dr Matthias Leder, said this during a courtesy visit to the Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Leder said eighteen young Nigerians had been selected through a competitive process to commence the pilot phase of a Dual Vocational Training Programme in Germany.
According to him, a total of 300 Nigerians applied for the programme, out of which 18 participants were selected after a rigorous two-stage screening process.
We conducted a competition in which 300 Nigerians participated in a two-stage process, and we selected the top 18. They have already started learning the German language very successfully.
“The idea is that they will finish this level of B2, be able to speak fluent German, and participate in the Dual Vocational Training together with German students,” he said.
Leder said the 18 participants would serve as a pilot group for the hospitality sector, after which the programme would be expanded to other fields with high demand for a skilled workforce in Germany.
He said the initiative offered participants both classroom and practical training opportunities, with monthly stipends that could rise to as much as 1,000 euros in the third year.
“Your country has more than 60 per cent of people younger than 30 years, and in Germany, it is the opposite, more than 60 per cent of our population is older than 30.
“This means we have a lack of young, talented people, and you have many young people who want qualifications.
“The idea is to combine these two effects to give young Nigerians the opportunity to learn the German language and then to receive Dual Vocational Training,” he said.
Leder said the training partnership provided a more dignified and structured pathway for Nigerians seeking to work abroad, as opposed to illegal migration.
He recalled that between 2012 and 2018, the Chamber trained about 600 Nigerians in collaboration with the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
He said that the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), the Ogun Council of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (OGUNCCIMA), the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), and the Nigerian-German Business Association (NGBA) also co-hosted the training.
“We are also focused on institutional enrichment of the Chambers of Commerce in Nigeria to position them as key drivers of the nation’s economy,” he said.
The Minister of Youth Development said the Federal Government had unveiled plans to empower at least seven million Nigerian youths through vocational and digital skills training programmes.
Olawande said the initiative underscored the government’s commitment to equipping young Nigerians with industry-relevant skills that promoted innovation, self-reliance, and employability.
“Our goal is not just to produce job seekers but to nurture innovators and entrepreneurs who will contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy,” he said.
Olawande said that through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA), the ministry was strengthening partnerships with German and Nigerian institutions.
He stated that this initiative aims to expand access to dual vocational and digital training, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for youth empowerment.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, a former Minister of Information and Culture and Managing Partner of Bruit Costaud, led the delegation from Germany.
Others on the team included Mrs Marina França Leder, Deputy Director of Foreign Trade; Mr Tim Müller, Senior Adviser on Africa/China; Mr Norbert Noisser; and Dr Kristen Albrecht, Head of Competence Centre Africa.
