The Minister of State for Youth Development, Mr. Ayodele Olawande, has expressed commendation for the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) during a courtesy visit to the Corporation’s management in Abuja. The minister lauded NDIC for its remarkable achievements in protecting depositors from the adverse consequences of bank failures.
In recognition of NDIC’s consistent support to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in overseeing the banking sector and ensuring the stability of the nation’s financial system, Olawande commended the Corporation’s pivotal role in safeguarding the interests of depositors.
Expressing the ministry’s readiness for collaboration, Olawande highlighted the potential partnership with NDIC to deepen public awareness, particularly among the youth and unbanked populations in rural areas. This collaboration would be facilitated through the Nigerian Youth Academy (NiYA) initiative, a strategic tool for promoting financial inclusion.
NiYA, a response to the presidential mandate, aims to unleash the creative potential of Nigerian youth for employment generation and wealth creation. Described by Olawande as a digital marketplace, NiYA connects Nigerian youth, both domestically and in the diaspora, enabling them to showcase their creativity, acquire relevant skills, and secure employment opportunities aligned with their life ambitions. The initiative, with the slogan ‘one youth, two skills, one local government, one product,’ targets empowering seven million youths with transformative skills.
NiYA encompasses various components, including online classes, job fairs, and access to resources and funding. To achieve its objectives, the ministry collaborates with agencies responsible for skills acquisition and empowerment. In response to the minister’s commendation, Mr. Bello Hassan, the Managing Director/CEO of NDIC, represented by Mr. Mustapha Ibrahim, the Executive Director (Operations), praised the NiYA initiative. Ibrahim highlighted NiYA’s potential to enhance capacity building, empower Nigerian youths, and stimulate business activities, entrepreneurship, and wealth creation. This aligns with NDIC’s objectives of promoting financial inclusion and bolstering public confidence in the nation’s financial system, creating an enabling environment for Nigerian youth to thrive and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development.
