Over 820,000 vulnerable youth across Kenya are set to benefit from vocational training, entrepreneurial skills, business capital, and access to financial services, in renewed efforts by the government to tackle youth unemployment crisis in the country.
This is through the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project set to be launched later this month, which seeks to address key barriers to employment so as to unlock the untapped potential of Kenya’s youth population.
Under the NYOTA Project, youth will be offered practical skills training, financial literacy and digital inclusion, to empower them to access credit, prudently manage their finances, and use mobile banking tools effectively for their socio-economic advancement.
The Project is tailored for the youth aged 18–29 who mainly comprise fresh graduates or those in institutions of higher learning, with the age cap extended to 35 for persons with disabilities.
The one unique feature about the NYOTA Project is the support for young entrepreneurs by offering them Ksh 50,000 in seed capital to start businesses, then a structured follow-up support to ensure long-term growth and sustainability.
“The NYOTA Project is not about one-off funding, it is about building long-term capacity. With mentorship, monitoring, and market linkages, we aim to cultivate a new generation of thriving youth-led enterprises, it is a gateway to mentorship, business development, and meaningful enterprise,” said Micro and Small Enterprise Authority (MSEA), CEO, Henry Rithaa.
The NYOTA Project is being spearheaded by the State Department of Youth Affairs and Creative Economy with support from other government agencies. The target is to foster economic inclusion and reduce poverty by focusing on empowering marginalized groups, including the youth in informal settlements, rural areas, and those living with disabilities.
Rithaa says unlike other previous programs, NYOTA will prioritize monitoring and evaluation, with regular assessments to track progress, impact, and areas for improvement for young enterpreneurs.
“This data-driven approach is key in helping the government refine its youth empowerment strategies for tangible results,” he said.
The planned launch of the NYOTA Project is a culmination of joint efforts to tackle barriers to employment among the youth, by the Ministries of MSMEs Development; Labour and Social Protection, and Youth Affairs and Creative Economy.
“Together with my colleagues (MSMEs Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya and his counterpart at the Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Ministry Salim Mvurya), we fine-tuned plans for the NYOTA, which is an initiative that promises to change the future for many Kenyan youths,” says Labour and Social Protection, Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mutua.
Anticipation is building ahead of the official launch of the NYOTA Project, which offers hope to unemployed youth and a new beginning in the journey of entrepreneurship, job creation and reducing the jobless rate in Kenya.
