The project was formally unveiled at the OVL Foundation’s headquarters in Lekki, Lagos, with key partners in attendance, including Kratos Sustainability Consult Ltd, IHS Nigeria, and the Mountain Top Productivity Enhancement Foundation. This collaboration marks a new chapter in youth development, placing emphasis on sustainable livelihoods, self-reliance, and community inclusion.
Speaking during the unveiling, Omobolanle Victor-Laniyan, CEO of OVL Foundation and Kratos Sustainability Consult Ltd, emphasized that the programme’s focus on digital and hands-on vocational training is designed to prepare young people for modern job markets and the evolving global economy.
“Taking the digital and vocational skills route is our way of preparing young Nigerians for relevant job opportunities,” she said. “We are equipping them with the tools and technology they need to compete and innovate locally and globally.”
The 9ja Youth Drive 2025 is a multi-layered initiative with a clear vision: to directly impact over 6,000 youths in 2025 and scale up to 9,000 annually across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. The programme includes both virtual tech training—open to participants nationwide—and physical vocational hubs in select states.
Digital and Tech Skills for a New Era
Participants enrolled in the digital track will gain skills in coding, data analysis, digital marketing, and analytics—all delivered through virtual cohorts and localized tech hubs. The programme will kick off in Asaba, Delta State, and expand to all six geopolitical zones. Beneficiaries will be drawn from states such as Nasarawa, Adamawa, Kaduna, Anambra, Delta, and Ogun, with plans to cover at least 30 states in five years.
“If we enhance digital literacy,” Victor-Laniyan noted, “our people will be ready for both the present and the future.”
To commemorate International Youth Day on August 12, the Foundation will host a Hackathon competition in Delta State, with a prize of ₦1 million for the winning idea or innovation that addresses local challenges.
Vocational Training: Turning Skills into Livelihoods
The vocational arm of the initiative provides in-person training in trades such as soap and hygiene product making, tie and dye, pastries, juice production, make-up artistry, and headwear crafting (gele and fascinators). The training hubs will provide practical learning environments, and participants will receive starter materials to immediately begin applying their skills.
“No trainee will return to the streets idle,” Victor-Laniyan assured. “They will leave with tools, knowledge, and resources to start something of their own—however small—and scale over time.”
Beyond the practical training, the programme incorporates marketing and packaging education to help beneficiaries build strong, sellable brands.
Inclusive and Gender-Responsive
Eligibility for the programme spans ages 18 to 45, a strategic decision aimed at including rural women, widows, and single mothers. Specific provisions are also being made for persons with disabilities and those marginalised by gender-related barriers, affirming the initiative’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.
“We understand that empowerment is key,” Victor-Laniyan added. “Especially for women and underserved communities, this programme is a chance at renewed purpose and dignity.”
A Long-Term Commitment to National Impact
The 9ja Youth Drive 2025 is part of a broader five-year strategy to reach deeper into Nigeria’s grassroots, with each new state entry driven by readiness, local partnership, and safety for facilitators.
“We don’t want to show up where we can’t make real impact,” she said. “We are going to states where there’s structure and appetite for change.”
Since its inception, the 9ja Youth Drive has already trained over 2,000 youths, providing mentorship and access to sustainable economic pathways.
L-R: Pastor Kunle Siwoniku, National Coordinator, Mountain Top Productivity Enhancement Foundation; Mr. Victor Laniyan, Chairman, OVL Foundation; Mrs. Omobolanle Victor- Laniyan, CEO, OVL Foundation and CEO, Kratos Sustainability Consult Ltd. and Dr. Victor Okhai, Board Advisory, OVL Foundation and immediate past president, Directors Guild of Nigeria at the unveiling of 9ja Youth Drive 2025 project recently at OVL Foundation building Lekki, Lagos.
A Call to Action for Nigerian Youth
During the event, Dr. Victor Okhai, member of the OVL Advisory Board and former president of the Directors Guild of Nigeria, urged young Nigerians to embrace trades like electrical wiring, welding, and watch repair, warning of their declining relevance among the youth despite high global demand.
“Skills like these are valuable in places like Japan, the U.S., and Canada,” he said. “Exporting skilled labour can boost Nigeria’s economy if our youth take them seriously.”
OVL Foundation Chairman, Victor Laniyan, described the initiative as a forward-looking investment in the future of Nigerian youth, a catalyst for innovation, self-employment, and economic development.
As Nigeria’s youth continue to grapple with unemployment and underemployment, 9ja Youth Drive 2025 stands as a hopeful blueprint—one that empowers, includes, and builds, one skill at a time.