The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP) 2.0. launched by the Vice President, Mr Kashim Shettima, on October 22, 2025, has received the support of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA).
The group has joined forces with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to strengthen the connection between education and industry.
The two parties are working together to ensure the success of the next phase of the programme, which will be handed over to the federal government in 2027 for full continuation.
This is part of efforts of both organisations to address youth unemployment in the country and improve graduate employability in the country.
The Director General of NECA, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, the association would play a central role in connecting employers to the growing pool of trained fellows by co-leading a Job Fair, which will be held as a side event during the official launch of NJFP 2.0.
He explained that the job fair would bring together major employers across key sectors to interact with NJFP Fellows and explore placement opportunities, noting that the group will be at the forefront of recruiting and placing 20,000 program fellows with employers by leveraging its network to secure industry buy-in and advising the NJFP team on aligning training with sector-specific skills demands.
The DG stated that NECA would also provide insights into future skills and labour trends to ensure that fellows remain relevant in Nigeria’s evolving world of work, stressing that it will support the NJFP by generating and providing data on skilling demands across industries, driving policy advocacy, and creating a systemic, industry-driven training framework for the country. Other partnership details include joint training sessions for employer focal persons to deepen their understanding of mentorship roles during placements.
According to him, the intention is to provide fellows with technical exposure, career guidance, and soft skills development. He stressed that the association has made arrangements to organise the NJFP Industry Summit in 2026 to review progress, share lessons, and strengthen partnerships among government, employers, and development partners.
NJFP is a flagship initiative of the Nigerian government supported by the European Union (EU). It was established to bridge the gap between young graduates and the labour market by providing 12-month, fully paid work placements across private, public, development, and NGO sectors.
Each Fellow will receive a N150,000 monthly stipend, fully funded by the programme, along with mentorship and market-oriented training to enhance workplace readiness.
While the first phase, NJFP 1.0, made valuable strides, it faced challenges in achieving large-scale and sustainable results. The latest phase, NJFP 2.0, has been redesigned to deliver more substantial impact through structured private sector engagement and clearer pathways for long-term employability.