By Abubakar Yunusa
The Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Germany is set to collaborate with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development to implement a dual vocational training programme aimed at reducing youth unemployment.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday, the Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, Dr Matthias Leder, explained that the initiative would equip Nigerian youths with technical and vocational skills through a structured system combining theoretical education with hands-on experience.
“From the very 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 experience of the market,” Dr Leder said.
He noted that a similar programme was implemented in Abuja, Abeokuta, and Lagos between 2012 and 2019, with a success rate of 95% of apprentices securing employment after completing their training.
The Chamber is now working with the German Delegation of Commerce and Industry to relaunch the initiative.
Dr Leder highlighted the broader benefits of the programme, stating that it could help address skill shortages in Germany’s labour market while providing Nigerian youths with better career prospects.
He suggested that young Nigerians could receive free training in Germany, with opportunities to secure employment upon completion.
“This could bring a lot of advantages to young Nigerians, who could earn as much as €1,000 annually as apprentices,” he added.
Former Nigerian Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who led the German delegation, described the initiative as a structured and legitimate pathway for labour migration.
“Beyond individual empowerment, this initiative has a broader economic dimension. It positions Nigerian youth to become productive members of the global economy while supporting Nigeria’s economic growth through remittances, knowledge transfer, and potential investment in the local industrial sector,” he said.
Nigeria’s Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande, welcomed the partnership, expressing the government’s commitment to providing skills training for millions of young Nigerians.
“If there is one thing for us as a ministry, it is that at the end of two years, we want to see that seven million Nigerians are skilled and able to stand on their own,” he said.
To facilitate the collaboration, Mr Olawande directed the establishment of a technical committee to develop the framework for the dual vocational training programme.
