Enugu State has celebrated the graduation of the first batch of 250 fellows from the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), a youth empowerment initiative designed to equip young Nigerians with hands-on work experience and professional mentorship.
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The fellows, who successfully completed 12 months of impactful service across both the public and private sectors in the state, were trained under the Human Capital Development Lab (HCDL) and through real workplace engagements. According to the Enugu SME Center, which facilitated the programme, the graduates have emerged as “polished professionals, ready to lead, build, and innovate.”
Of the 250 fellows, 70 percent were deployed to top-performing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), while 30 percent were placed in high-growth private firms. Among the public institutions that hosted the fellows were the Enugu SME Center with 10 fellows, the Enugu State Internal Revenue Service with 11, the Office of the Secretary to the State Government with six, the Ministry of Health with five, the Office of the Special Adviser on Public Finance with four, and the Enugu State Marketing Company with four. Others included the Office of the Special Adviser on Donor Relations, the Office of the Special Adviser for Project Development, the Economic Planning Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Industrialization, the Ministry of Lands and Urban Development, the Ministry of Justice, the Sustainable Development Goals Office, the Surveyor General’s Office, and several more.
The private sector also played a significant role. Fellows gained industry experience in companies such as Dynamic Keystone Ltd, Cidon Health & Homes Ltd, Memfys Hospital, Potters Wheel Foundation, Pinnacle of Grace International School, Edenvale School Enugu, Gozinchem International, and Brizong Global Solutions.
Through the programme, the fellows acquired practical work experience, professional mentorship, and clear career pathways into employment, entrepreneurship, and leadership roles. The Enugu SME Center, which monitored and coordinated the programme in the state, described the graduation as a milestone achievement. “This initiative has helped strengthen institutional capacity while preparing our young people for globally competitive opportunities,” the Center said in a statement.
The Center also commended the Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, for his “visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to youth empowerment and institutional transformation.” It added that the graduation marks not just an end but the beginning of a new journey, with a renewed commitment to building a pipeline of employable, innovative youth through strategic programmes like the NJFP.
With the successful completion of this first phase, Enugu State has positioned itself as a key player in advancing youth employment and human capital development in Nigeria.
Congratulations to the NJFP graduates—the future is now.