The Federal Government has launched the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB), a central platform designed to improve youth-focused policymaking, programme targeting and access to opportunities across Nigeria….
The Federal Government has launched the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB), a central platform designed to improve youth-focused policymaking, programme targeting and access to opportunities across Nigeria.
The initiative, launched by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development, is expected to provide reliable data on the demographic characteristics, skills, aspirations, needs and circumstances of young Nigerians.
Speaking at the launch, Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the success of the Data Bank would depend on sustained collaboration among government agencies, state governments, educational institutions, development partners, the private sector, civil society and youth organisations.
Olawande said the initiative was not merely about collecting and storing information but about using data to identify young Nigerians and connect them with opportunities in skills development, employment, entrepreneurship, internships and digital programmes.
He said the platform would also improve the visibility of young people who are underrepresented in existing datasets, particularly those in rural and underserved communities.
The Minister stressed the need for inclusion, privacy and responsible data management, noting that young Nigerians have different circumstances shaped by factors including location, gender, educational background, economic status, disability and access to infrastructure.
He said the initiative was part of the Federal Government’s broader youth development agenda covering job creation, skills development, youth empowerment, digital transformation and human capital development.
Olawande said the Data Bank would enable government to identify emerging needs, design targeted interventions and connect young Nigerians with opportunities that match their skills, aspirations and circumstances.
He described the vision of the initiative as: “Know the Youth, Understand the Youth, Connect the Youth and Empower the Youth.”
In her welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, represented by the Director of Human Resources, Olaniepekun Akinwumi Adebayo, described the launch as a significant milestone in youth development planning.
She said credible data on the educational and skills profiles, employment status, entrepreneurial interests, locations, aspirations and vulnerabilities of young Nigerians would be critical to harnessing the country’s youthful population.
According to her, the Data Bank would support evidence-based policymaking, effective targeting of programmes, monitoring and evaluation, as well as better coordination of youth development initiatives.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth Development, Senator Adeyemi Raphael Adaramodu, represented by the committee’s Clerk, Dr Ijeoma Chilean, also commended the initiative.
He said the platform would provide reliable information to support legislation, policy formulation, resource allocation and targeted interventions for young Nigerians.
Adaramodu commended the Ministry, POGMA Nigeria Limited and other stakeholders involved in developing and implementing the National Youth Data Bank.
The Federal Ministry of Youth Development said the platform would ultimately provide stakeholders with a structured source of youth-related data to support more coordinated and targeted interventions across the country.
