ACCI, GIZ-SKYE Strengthen Partnership to Bridge Skills Gap, Boost Youth Employment and Advance Green Economy
October 20, 2026
In a renewed push to bridge Nigeria’s skills gap, expand youth employment and prepare businesses for a greener economy, the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, through its Skills Development for Youth Employment (SKYE) programme, are exploring new areas of collaboration to strengthen industry-driven skills development and improve young people’s access to decent work.
The renewed commitment emerged during a strategic meeting between both organisations ahead of the Abuja Job & Career Fair 2026, scheduled for Thursday, October 22, at M&M Event Centre, Garki, Abuja. The engagement provided a platform to review their longstanding partnership, deepen private sector participation in technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and explore opportunities to integrate sustainability into skills development and entrepreneurship programmes.
Speaking at the meeting, ACCI Deputy Director-General, Dr. Tinuke Temitope, highlighted the Chamber’s role in promoting enterprise development and providing business support services through its various centres and units, including the Abuja Trade Centre, Policy Advocacy Centre, Dispute Resolution Centre, Business Entrepreneurship Skills and Technology (BEST) Centre, and The Cooperative. She reaffirmed ACCI’s commitment to strengthening businesses through capacity development, trade facilitation, policy advocacy and other services that support private sector growth.
Dr. Temitope described the BEST Centre as a critical platform for developing employable skills and nurturing entrepreneurship, particularly through practical training and TVET programmes tailored to industry needs. She explained that the Centre leverages ACCI’s extensive business network to facilitate internships, job placements and employment opportunities for trainees, connecting skills acquisition with the actual demands of the labour market.
She also disclosed that the Centre is participating in the IDEAS TVET programme, through which approximately 400 participants are undergoing training across its programmes and partner institutions. The training areas include Office Administration and Facility Management, among others. She called for GIZ’s support to expand access to the one-year Office Administration programme, noting that its extended duration presents significant financial commitments that could limit participation without additional support.
The GIZ team commended ACCI for sustaining the partnership, which has supported TVET initiatives since 2018. The GIZ representative responsible for TVET engagement reiterated the SKYE programme’s commitment to strengthening private sector involvement in skills development and ensuring that training initiatives respond to employers’ needs. The meeting also provided ACCI with information on its allocated exhibition booth at the forthcoming Job Fair, where the Chamber will showcase its services and opportunities to jobseekers, employers and other stakeholders.
Beyond employment and vocational training, both organisations explored opportunities to incorporate green skills and sustainability into business development and vocational education. GIZ identified energy efficiency, waste management and the green economy as priority areas for collaboration, underscoring the growing importance of environmentally responsible practices in enterprise development and the changing world of work.
In furtherance of this objective, ACCI’s Sustainability and Business Development Unit highlighted plans for a sensitisation webinar on the green economy, while GIZ disclosed plans to organise a comprehensive waste management and recycling programme in May. These initiatives are expected to complement ongoing efforts to build awareness, promote sustainable business practices and equip participants with skills relevant to emerging green-economy opportunities.
At the Abuja Job & Career Fair, ACCI will showcase the services of its centres and units, highlighting its support for entrepreneurs, businesses, trade facilitation, skills development and institutional capacity building. The fair, organised in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Jobberman, GIZ-SKYE and other partners, is expected to connect jobseekers with prospective employers and widen access to employment opportunities.
As part of efforts to maximise the fair’s impact, ACCI is encouraging member companies with existing or anticipated vacancies to submit details of available positions to the Chamber’s Secretariat. The initiative will enable ACCI to facilitate connections between employers and suitably qualified candidates, helping businesses access relevant talent while contributing to efforts to reduce unemployment.
The engagement reinforces ACCI and GIZ-SKYE’s shared commitment to private sector-led skills development, improved youth employability and sustainable economic growth. By strengthening the link between vocational training, industry requirements and emerging green-economy opportunities, the partnership seeks to position young Nigerians to participate more effectively in the labour market while supporting businesses to build a skilled, productive and sustainability-conscious workforce.
By Olayemi John-Mensah
ACCI Media & Strategy Officer
