The Federal Government has launched the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB) to provide reliable data that will guide youth policies, improve programme targeting and connect young Nigerians with employment, skills and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The initiative, launched by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is expected to give government and other stakeholders a clearer picture of the educational backgrounds, skills, aspirations, employment status, locations and vulnerabilities of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, said the success of the Data Bank would depend on sustained collaboration among Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), state governments, educational institutions, development partners, the private sector, civil society organisations and youth groups.
Olawande said the initiative was not merely about collecting and storing information but about using credible data to identify young Nigerians and link them with opportunities in skills acquisition, employment, entrepreneurship, internships, digital programmes and other youth-focused interventions.
He said the platform would also help government identify emerging needs and develop programmes that are better suited to the circumstances, skills and aspirations of young people.
The minister stressed the need for inclusion, privacy and responsible data management, noting that Nigerian youths have different circumstances based on location, gender, educational background, economic status, disability and access to infrastructure.
According to him, the Data Bank would improve the visibility of youths who are often underrepresented in existing datasets, particularly those living in rural and underserved communities.
Olawande said strong safeguards would be put in place to protect personal information and ensure that data collected through the platform remained accurate and was responsibly managed.
He described the launch as the beginning of a long-term effort to convert reliable youth data into opportunities and measurable development outcomes.
He said the vision of the initiative was to “Know the Youth, Understand the Youth, Connect the Youth and Empower the Youth”, towards building a stronger and more inclusive Nigeria.
The minister added that the Data Bank was part of the Federal Government’s broader youth development agenda covering empowerment, job creation, skills development, digital transformation and human capital development.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, represented by the Director, Human Resources, Olaniepekun Akinwumi Adebayo, described the initiative as a major step towards strengthening youth development planning.
She said credible information on the education, skills, employment status, entrepreneurial interests, locations, aspirations and vulnerabilities of young Nigerians would be critical to harnessing the country’s youthful population.
Keshinro said the Data Bank would support evidence-based policymaking, effective targeting of programmes, monitoring and evaluation, as well as better coordination of youth development initiatives.
She added that the platform would assist government agencies, development partners, private organisations and researchers in designing interventions that respond more effectively to the realities of Nigerian youths.
Also speaking, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, Senator Adeyemi Raphael Adaramodu, represented by the committee’s Clerk, Dr Ijeoma Chilean, described the initiative as a significant step towards a more responsive and evidence-based approach to youth development.
He said reliable data on Nigeria’s young population would support legislation, policy formulation, resource allocation and targeted interventions.
Adaramodu commended the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, POGMA Nigeria Limited and other stakeholders involved in the development and implementation of the National Youth Data Bank.
The NYDB is expected to serve as a central platform for youth-related information, providing government and other stakeholders with better insight into the demographics, skills, aspirations, needs and opportunities of young Nigerians.
