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FG launches youth opportunities content challenge for young Nigerians

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has launched the FMYD Youth Opportunities Content Challenge to enable young Nigerians to use their creativity and social media platforms to help others discover government-backed opportunities.

Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, announced the initiative on Wednesday while commemorating the 2026 International Youth Day, themed “Different Contexts, Common Aspirations.”

Director, Information and Public Relations, Omolara Esan, in a statement in Abuja, quoted Olawande as saying that the challenge would encourage young Nigerians to identify available opportunities, understand them and creatively share the information with others who could benefit.

“We are not asking you to praise the Ministry; we are asking you to inform another young Nigerian,” the minister said, adding that details on the guidelines, categories, timelines and prizes would be announced shortly.

He said the theme of this year’s International Youth Day reflected the Nigerian experience, noting that despite differences in communities, cultures, educational backgrounds and circumstances, young people largely share common aspirations for opportunities, success, innovation and a peaceful and prosperous country.

The minister said the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had continued to translate these aspirations into programmes designed to improve opportunities for young Nigerians.

According to him, 239,726 young Nigerians have acquired digital, employability and other practical skills through the Nigerian Youth Academy.

He added that the government was supporting young entrepreneurs through NiYA StartUp, expanding access to credit through YouthCred, and creating opportunities through the Youth Agricultural Land Trust Fund and the Presidential Metering Initiative.

Olawande also cited the Nigerian Youth Help Desk and the ongoing reform of the National Youth Service Corps, describing the latter as the first comprehensive reform of the scheme since its establishment 53 years ago.

The minister said the initiatives were aimed at ensuring that young Nigerians could “see, touch and feel” the impact of government programmes in their lives.

He congratulated Nigerian youths on International Youth Day and urged them to actively use their creativity and platforms to connect fellow young people with opportunities.