Vihiga: Over 1,750 youth from Vihiga County are set to benefit from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, which aims to empower them economically and improve youth employability. Speaking during a NYOTA project sensitization meeting held in the DIDC hall in Vihiga, Principal Secretary, State Department for Public Service and Huduma Capital Development Dr. Jane Kere Imbunya urged National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) to ensure the youth understand and apply for the project.
According to Kenya News Agency, Dr. Imbunya expressed regret that the first phase of the NYOTA project did not progress as expected and called for immediate action by NGAO officials to initiate phase two with aggressive sensitization efforts. She praised the president for the initiative and encouraged the youth of Vihiga County to take advantage of the National Youth Service for government training and skill development.
Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise / NYOTA project Director for Vihiga County, Philip Nyange Maube, stated that the 1,750 youth beneficiaries are selected from all 25 wards of Vihiga County. Each participant would receive Sh50,000, with Sh6,000 allocated to their savings with the National Social Security Fund to promote a culture of saving among the youth.
The Principal Secretary explained the collaboration with organizations such as NSSF, NITA, NEA, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs to ensure the success of the NYOTA project. The NYOTA project is a Sh5 billion initiative designed to benefit 70 youth from each of the 1,450 wards in the country.