Nairobi: At least 7,000 Lamu youths will benefit from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, a transformative initiative that seeks to address youth unemployment and promote entrepreneurship. Speaking during the launch of the programme in Mokowe, Trade and Investment Principal Secretary (PS) Abubakar Hassan Abubakar led a section of elected Lamu leaders in calling on youth to apply for the NYOTA grant.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Project will provide 70 young entrepreneurs from each of Lamu County’s 10 wards with a starting capital of Sh50,000 each to start or expand their business initiatives. The PS emphasized that the project extends beyond a simple cash transfer, stating that it is a holistic empowerment programme that will also provide apprenticeship placements to equip youth with technical and workplace skills.
A key component of the programme is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which will certify informally gained skills, thereby boosting their value in the self-employment marketplace. The PS specifically highlighted the project’s potential impact in marginalized areas, noting that it would greatly benefit young people in Lamu East and the wider Boni area, most of whom lacked requisite skills and papers required to secure formal jobs.
Trade and Investment Principal Secretary Abubakar Hassan Abubakar noted that the NYOTA project initiative is timely considering the bulging youth population in Lamu County, especially those who have been trained within TVETs aligned with blue economy courses. This sentiment was echoed by Lamu East Member of Parliament (MP) Capt. Ruweida Obo, who urged youth in her Constituency to apply for the programme in large numbers.
Lamu East MP Capt. Ruweida Obo also highlighted the need for the national government to revive its support for the UWEZO Fund, the Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF), and The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) with funding, to ensure a broader reach of affirmative action opportunities for Kenyans. The political goodwill for the initiative was bipartisan, with Lamu West Legislator Stanley Muthama lauding the project.
Lamu West Legislator Stanley Muthama stated that it creates a clear avenue through which the national government’s ‘Bottom-Up’ approach to development could be achieved. He emphasized that the national government is intentional about resolving the unemployment crisis among youths in the country.
Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech further explained that the NYOTA initiative is a commendable project that seeks to uplift youths, similar to the overseas jobs initiative. He urged National Government Administrative Officers in the County to create awareness over the initiative, especially in Lamu East Constituency, which faces a higher jobs crisis.