Rivers State Opens Youth Innovation Hub to Fight Unemployment

A new training center in Port Harcourt, Nigeria is giving young people the tools they need to build careers and escape unemployment.

The Adolescent and Young Peoples Innovation Hub opened Thursday in Fimie, Rivers State, offering free training in high-demand skills like web design, robotics, makeup artistry, and culinary arts. Governor Siminalayi Fubara's administration partnered with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Human Virology Nigeria, and Project Hope to make it happen.

"This hub goes beyond skills training. It creates opportunities, restores dignity, and nurtures hope," said Dr. Adaeze Oreh, Rivers State's Health Commissioner, during the opening ceremony.

The program enrolls groups of 50 young people for intensive six-month courses. Students can choose from seven different tracks, including entrepreneurship, app development, and cooking, all taught with state-of-the-art equipment like a fully equipped professional kitchen and a dedicated robotics lab.

Dr. Charles Olalekan-Mensah, Chief Operating Officer of IHVN, explained the multiplier effect built into the program's design. Graduates won't just gain skills for themselves but will be equipped to train others in their communities, spreading knowledge and opportunity far beyond the hub's walls.

The Ripple Effect

The innovation hub tackles more than just unemployment. By giving young people marketable skills and a sense of purpose, it addresses health vulnerabilities that often accompany joblessness, including HIV risk and other social challenges.

Local leaders see the facility as an investment that will pay dividends across Rivers State. Dr. Bernard Fimie, the traditional king of Fimie Kingdom, thanked the government for choosing his community and urged young people to seize the opportunity fully.

The timing couldn't be better for Nigeria, where youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge. Adolescents and young adults make up a significant portion of Rivers State's population, and giving them pathways to self-reliance strengthens entire communities.

The hub's design emphasizes practical, real-world skills that translate directly into jobs or business opportunities. Whether a graduate wants to start a catering company, build websites for local businesses, or develop mobile apps, they'll leave with both the technical know-how and entrepreneurial foundation to make it happen.

Thousands of young people in Rivers State now have a concrete path forward.