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By Chinenye Anuforo
In a renewed push to confront youth unemployment, rising social vices and deepening economic pressures, the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) and Grassroots Bridge Builders (GBB) have called on governments, private sector actors and development partners to intensify investment in skills acquisition as a pathway to national stability and sustainable growth.
The appeal formed the central message at the official launch of the NASRDA/GBB Skills Development Project held at the Women Development Centre, Abuja, where a large turnout of young Nigerians highlighted growing demand for practical empowerment opportunities amid shrinking formal employment prospects.
Director-General and Chief Executive of GBB, Engr. Ibrahim Moses Igoche, said youth empowerment through vocational and technical skills remains one of the most effective strategies for addressing unemployment and reducing exposure to crime, drug abuse and other social vices.
He noted that the GBB empowerment platform has helped move many young people off the streets by engaging them in profitable ventures and nurturing them into responsible and productive citizens.
According to Igoche, skills acquisition programmes are powerful tools for reshaping negative narratives around Nigerian youths while unlocking their hidden potential for national development. He urged young people to remain committed to the Nigerian project and channel their energy into meaningful activities capable of driving inclusive growth.
The GBB chief also acknowledged the support of government institutions and partners, particularly commending NASRDA’s leadership for sustaining initiatives that prioritise youth development and innovation-driven progress.
In his remarks, NASRDA Director-General, Dr. Matthew Adepoju—represented by the agency’s Director of Media and Corporate Communications, Dr. Felix Ale—described skills acquisition as extending beyond job creation to encompass dignity, innovation and holistic societal transformation.
He emphasised that equipping youths with relevant and practical competencies positions them as architects of their own future, contributors to national productivity and custodians of technological advancement.
Adepoju added that skills development aligns with NASRDA’s broader mandate of deploying science, technology and space-based solutions to accelerate Nigeria’s socio-economic transformation, assuring continued institutional support for programmes that enable young Nigerians to maximise their potential.
He further linked youth empowerment initiatives to the Federal Government’s broader policy direction centred on innovation, inclusion and sustainable development.
Also speaking, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), represented by the agency’s Secretary, Barrister Shedrach Haruna, urged youths to reject drug-related activities and instead embrace skills acquisition as a more productive and sustainable life path.
Marwa described empowerment programmes as strategic platforms for redirecting youthful energy toward creativity, enterprise and national contribution.
Stakeholders at the event echoed a growing consensus that skills development is not merely an economic intervention but a transformative instrument for building a resilient, innovative and inclusive society capable of meeting Nigeria’s present and future challenges.
