FG Opens Nationwide Youth Registration, Targets Nigerians Aged 15–35

FG Opens Nationwide Youth Registration, Targets Nigerians Aged 15–35

The Federal Government has commenced nationwide registration of Nigerians aged 15 to 35 under the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB), a new initiative designed to build a reliable database of young people and support access to jobs, skills training, internships, entrepreneurship and other opportunities.

Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the commencement of the exercise as the government launched the National Youth Data Bank, saying accurate youth data would help improve the planning, targeting and delivery of government programmes.

The NYDB is designed to capture information on young Nigerians, including their education, skills, employment, entrepreneurship and other demographic characteristics. The official platform says the database is intended to provide a centralised and continuously updated picture of Nigeria’s youth population.

The government said the initiative is not an electoral registration exercise but a youth development programme aimed at improving how government identifies young people and connects them with relevant opportunities.

The registration covers young Nigerians in different sectors and settings, including those in schools, the informal sector, agriculture, sports, creative industries and technology.

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A key part of the exercise is the establishment of approved NYDB registration centres or cluster points. According to the official NYDB platform, young Nigerians can register at approved locations within their state, Local Government Area (LGA), school or other specially designated locations.

This means that not every school, LGA office or public facility is automatically a registration centre. Applicants are expected to use approved NYDB cluster points, where trained registration personnel will guide them through the process.

The exercise is being extended across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with the programme designed to reach young people in rural and underserved communities as well as those in urban areas.

The registration process begins with a visit to an approved NYDB cluster point, followed by an eligibility check and the creation of a youth profile. Participants are then required to confirm the information provided before completing the registration.

The 15 to 35 age bracket is the target population for the data-bank exercise. The database is expected to be updated continuously to maintain current information on eligible young Nigerians.

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development says the information gathered will help government understand where young people are located, what qualifications and skills they have, whether they are employed or seeking opportunities, and what forms of support may be required.

The NYDB platform identifies education, skills, employment, entrepreneurship, civic participation and health among the key areas of information being developed to strengthen youth-focused planning and interventions.

The initiative is also expected to improve the ability of government and authorised partners to identify young people who may be missing from existing datasets, particularly those in rural communities and underserved groups.

The Federal Ministry of Youth Development has separately announced plans for a National Youth Confab 2026, scheduled to begin in October, with participation expected from young Nigerians across the country’s 360 federal constituencies.

For Nigerians within the 15–35 age bracket, the government is therefore encouraging participation through the approved NYDB registration centres as the nationwide exercise expands.

FG Opens Nationwide Youth Registration, Targets Nigerians Aged 15–35