The Federal Government has commenced the nationwide registration of Nigerians aged 15 to 35 under the National Youth Data Bank (NYDB) to create a comprehensive database of the country’s young population.

The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, announced the commencement of the exercise on Tuesday in Abuja while launching the National Youth Data Bank project.

Olawande said the initiative would capture young Nigerians across both formal and informal sectors, including those involved in agriculture, sports, creative industries and technology.

He said accurate data on the country’s youth population would enable the government to better understand their locations, skills and needs, thereby improving the design and implementation of youth-focused programmes.

According to the minister, the database is expected to provide information on who Nigerian youths are, where they live, what skills they possess and the opportunities they require.

Olawande stressed that the programme was designed as a continuous government initiative and was not linked to any electoral exercise.

He said the government intended to ensure that young Nigerians in both formal and informal employment were captured, including those working in agriculture, sports, creative sectors and technology.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of POGMA Nigeria Limited, Otunba Oluyinka Akerele, the project’s technical partner, said registration centres had been established in educational institutions and would subsequently be extended to local government areas and wards nationwide.

Akerele said the exercise would cover students in secondary schools, polytechnics, universities and colleges of education, as well as youths working in the informal sector and those living in rural communities.

He said registration cluster points had already been created in schools and other tertiary institutions to capture youths within the formal sector.

According to him, enumerators would also be deployed across the 774 local government areas to reach young Nigerians, including those living in hard-to-reach communities.

Akerele urged young Nigerians to participate in the exercise, saying registration would help the government identify eligible youths and connect them with available employment, skills development and other opportunities.

He explained that the 15 to 35 age bracket was based on the Nigerian Youth Policy, which recognises Nigerians within that range as youths.

Akerele added that the database would be regularly updated to capture Nigerians who subsequently attain the minimum eligible age.

He said young Nigerians who are below 15 years would be captured once they become eligible as part of the continuous updating process.