In a bid to address Nigeria’s high youth unemployment rate, the Federal Ministry of Youth Development is set to collaborate with Germany’s Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry to implement a Dual Vocational Training (DVT) Program. The initiative aims to equip young Nigerians with practical skills that will enhance their employability both locally and internationally.

Dr. Matthias Leder, CEO of the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber, highlighted the significance of the program during a meeting with Nigerian officials in Abuja. According to him, the training model combines theoretical education with hands-on work experience, ensuring that participants are job-ready from the start.

“From the first day of the apprenticeship, you work three days in a company and two days at the vocational training school. This means from your start as an apprentice, you gain the market experience,” Leder explained.

The DVT model, previously implemented in Nigeria between 2012 and 2019, recorded a 95% employment rate for graduates. Given its success, the German delegation is working on reviving the initiative, with discussions underway between the Nigerian government and the German Delegation of Commerce and Industry.

Beyond equipping Nigerian youth with critical skills, Leder emphasized that the programme could also serve as a bridge to address labour shortages in Germany. He noted that trained apprentices who successfully pass their exams could receive job offers from German companies struggling to find skilled workers.

“The idea could be to invite young Nigerians with sufficient learning skills to get free Dual Vocational Training in Germany. There are companies that lack workers, and when they receive the training and pass their exams, they can be sure there are plenty of job offers, and the first place, of course, is the training company,” Leder stated.

The initiative also presents economic benefits beyond employment, as it promotes structured and legitimate labor migration, potentially leading to increased remittances that could boost Nigeria’s economy. Former Minister of Information and Managing Partner of Bruit Costaud, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the programme as a win-win solution for both countries.

Youth Development Minister Ayodele Olawande welcomed the partnership, expressing the Nigerian government’s commitment to providing opportunities for skill acquisition and self-reliance.

“If there is one thing for us as a ministry, it is that at the end of two years, we want to see that 7 million Nigerians are upright enough to stand on their own and say we are skilled.

“As a ministry, when we say youth development, we want to develop our youth, and the only way we can develop the youth is to support them, empower them, and protect them,” Olawande said.

To fast-track the partnership, the minister directed the establishment of a technical committee that will work with the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber to develop a framework for implementing the Dual Vocational Training Programme in Nigeria.