WARRI: The Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), supported by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has injected N352.88 million into the Delta State economy through direct stipends paid to 419 fellows.
The fellows were placed in 130 host organisations across the state under the Federal Government’s youth employment and skills development initiative.
The NJFP was established to provide young Nigerian graduates with structured workplace experience while helping organisations access skilled talent, strengthen their capacity and develop sustainable workforce pipelines.
Speaking during a Private Sector Partnership and Investment Engagement in Warri, Delta State, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination in the Office of the Vice-President, Akubo Adegbe, said the programme was created to address the gap between the experience employers require and the opportunities available to young graduates.
Adegbe described the NJFP as a 12-month mentorship and work-experience programme designed to support the transition of young Nigerians from education into meaningful employment and entrepreneurship.
He said each fellow receives a monthly stipend of N150,000 during the programme, adding that the next phase of the initiative would focus on sustainability and improving the platform’s response to labour-market demands.
According to him, the NJFP platform provides a nationwide structure for identifying, matching, placing and mentoring young talent, as well as supporting skills development.
“The opportunity now is to determine how that platform can respond more deliberately to the workforce needs of Delta’s businesses and priority industries, he said.
The Private Sector Engagement Lead at UNDP, Dr. Weyinmi Eribo, said NJFP fellows in Delta State had been deployed across sectors including education, technology, business management, agriculture and healthcare.
She added that maritime services, logistics and oil and gas support services offered significant opportunities for expanding the programme’s impact in the state.
Eribo disclosed that the NJFP, which has operated across Nigeria for almost five years, provides two major pathways for participants: retainership and entrepreneurship.
She urged private-sector organisations to absorb qualified fellows into their workforce after the programme, while calling for greater collaboration among government, businesses and development partners.
According to her, additional support is needed in the areas of co-financing, resource mobilisation, integration of NJFP talent into state-led development programmes and the creation of an enabling environment for young people and businesses to thrive.
“The NJFP platform is designed to provide mentorship, practical experience and skills development. It also supports talent cohorts, enterprise development and workforce transition to ensure that the talent pipeline reflects real industry needs,” she said.
Eribo said the EU Delegation to Nigeria, alongside officials from the Office of the Vice-President and UNDP, visited Delta State to assess the impact of EU-supported programmes, particularly the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme.
She said the visit provided an opportunity to see how the investment was creating employment opportunities and supporting communities across the state.
Adegbe noted that the engagement also allowed government officials and development partners to hear directly from fellows, alumni and host organisations about their experiences under the programme.
He said the focus should now extend beyond the number of participants to building a sustainable pathway from education and skills development to decent work, entrepreneurship and long-term economic participation.
“The EU has been a major catalyst for NJFP, committing €44 million to support the programme. This investment has helped establish a national platform connecting young graduates with practical workplace experience and skills development,” Adegbe said.
He added that the Delta State visit was aimed at reviewing the programme’s achievements, identifying lessons and determining the support required from government, businesses and other partners to sustain its impact.
