The government launched the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) project, a major youth empowerment initiative funded by the World Bank. This initiative provides jobless Kenyan youth with up to Ksh 50,000 in start-up capital.
According to the government, the NYOTA Program—an upgrade of the Kenya Youth Employment Opportunities Project (KYEOP)—is designed to improve the livelihoods of young Kenyans through a multi-agency approach that brings together national and county governments, development partners, and the private sector.
The project seeks to transform the lives of more than 800,000 youth across the country through skills training, business support, and employment opportunities.
NYOTA focuses on four key areas: improving youth employability, expanding employment opportunities, supporting a savings culture, and strengthening youth employment systems and project management.
800,000 Youth to Benefit from Life-Changing Opportunities Under NYOTA Program
The initiative targets unemployed youth aged 18–29 and persons with disabilities aged up to 35 years, who have at least a secondary education level.
It specifically focuses on those with a Form Four level of education and below, ensuring inclusivity for those who did not advance to higher learning institutions.
Beneficiaries include young people from all wards across the country, as well as refugees in Garissa and Turkana camps.
Under the program, youth will receive socio-emotional and digital skills training, participate in on-the-job apprenticeship experiences, and benefit from business start-up capital of Ksh 50,000 for entrepreneurship ventures.
The program will also promote savings through the Haba Haba Scheme, which offers monetary incentives and integrates participants into the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
So far, NYOTA has attracted over 1.4 million applicants seeking business support, 278,647 applying for on-the-job experience, and 40,000 expressing interest in skills recognition and certification under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) initiative.
The project also features a digital career navigator platform that helps youth explore career paths aligned with their skills, interests, and market demand.
It integrates partnerships with government departments such as Energy and Housing, allowing participants to gain hands-on experience in sectors like solar installation and settlement upgrading. Also
Among its expected outcomes are the creation of 100,000 youth entrepreneurs, 70 per ward, the establishment of 10,000 micro-franchises, and the upskilling of 4,000 master craftsmen.
Over 600,000 youth will be trained on Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) that facilitate the enterprises owned by women, youth, and persons with disabilities to bid for government tenders.
The NYOTA project represents a transformative step toward tackling unemployment and promoting self-reliance among the youth. It aims to empower young people with the tools to earn, save, and grow, ultimately contributing to Kenya’s economic development and social stability.
In essence, NYOTA embodies a national effort to equip Kenya’s youth with practical skills, business acumen, and financial discipline—ensuring that no young person, whether in urban centres or remote areas, is left behind in the country’s transformation journey.
Also Read: How World Bank-Funded Project Birthed NYOTA Program, Promising Ksh 50K for Jobless Kenyans
A National Approach to Youth Empowerment
The program adopts a holistic approach to youth development by integrating training, employment, entrepreneurship, and financial inclusion to promote sustainable livelihoods. It will operate under four main areas of intervention:
- Improving youth employability
- Expanding employment opportunities
- Supporting youth savings
- Strengthening youth employment systems, capacity, and project management
The project aims to increase employment opportunities and earnings among the youth while nurturing a culture of saving to promote long-term financial stability.
Empowering Youth Through Training and Work Experience
Under the Improving Youth Employability component, NYOTA will offer socio-emotional and soft skills training to enhance productivity, job retention, and professionalism. Training will include:
- Mindset change and leadership
- Decision-making and etiquette
- National values and communication
- Emerging issues in the workplace
Participants will also acquire core business and digital skills in start-up management, operations, financial planning, and digital literacy.
The On-the-Job Experience pathway will expose youth to real-world work environments through structured apprenticeships with master craftsmen and employers. It will also link beneficiaries to foreign labour markets and ensure apprenticeship standards align with labour market demands.
Also Read: Government Reopens Applications for NYOTA Programme; How to Apply
Supporting Youth Entrepreneurs
The Business Support Intervention Package will directly benefit 100,000 youth through business and emotional skills training, four months of mentorship, and start-up capital of Ksh 50,000—with 12% directed toward savings.
An additional 10,000 youth will benefit through results-based financing partnerships with social enterprises, receiving guided entrepreneurship training and business toolkits where necessary.
Encouraging a Savings Culture
To promote financial inclusion, NYOTA will assist 190,000 youth in opening savings accounts through the Haba Haba Scheme, offering both short-term and long-term savings options. The program will also integrate with NSSF to improve systems and communication for young savers.
Young mothers will receive childcare subsidies and maternal health benefits, enabling them to pursue work and business opportunities while caring for their families and children.
Strengthening Systems and Market Access
NYOTA will invest heavily in digital empowerment, training 600,000 youth on Access to Government Procurement Opportunities (AGPO) and catalytic funds to help them compete for tenders and contracts.
A digital marketplace platform will also be established to connect youth entrepreneurs to markets, ensuring sustainability and growth.
In addition, NYOTA will strengthen the capacity of national and county governments, as well as their monitoring and evaluation systems and project management structures, to ensure accountability and long-term impact.
How does one apply?
Applications for all NYOTA components are rolled out through a digital platform. Officials noted that the digital system enables applicants from all wards to register and track their progress independently, thereby reducing corruption and delays.
- Applicants should dial the USSD code *254#, which is free to use on both feature phones and smartphones
- Select the NYOTA option
- Fill in their personal and educational details
- Choose a preferred option: training, entrepreneurship or skill recognition, and await confirmation for further processing.
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