By Matthew Johnson

The Federal Government has announced that recruitment for Batch B of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-Radicalisation Programme will begin nationwide on March 9, 2026, with authorities cautioning prospective applicants against multiple registrations.

In a statement by the Coordinator-General of the programme, Mr Kennedy Iyere, called on eligible Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 50 to participate in the exercise.

According to him, the recruitment will take place across the country except in Kano State, where the process will be supervised by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf through a newly established Kano State YEIDEP Steering Committee authorised to coordinate beneficiary recruitment within the state.

He emphasised that opening the YEIDEP bank account is the only valid means of becoming a recognised participant and potential beneficiary, stressing that the entire process is free of charge.

Applicants were advised to report any request for payment from bank officials or intermediaries, warning that such demands are unauthorised.

The statement further clarified that individuals who successfully registered during Batch A and already possess confirmed YEIDEP bank accounts are not eligible for the Batch B exercise. However, those who registered previously but did not receive confirmed accounts are encouraged to participate in the new recruitment phase.

He described YEIDEP as a national youth economy inclusion and empowerment initiative coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Youth Development in collaboration with the Youths Off The Street Initiative and supported by development partners.

Iyere explained that the programme is designed to tackle youth unemployment, poverty and vulnerability to radicalisation by promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities among young Nigerians.

According to YEIDEP, the initiative targets the empowerment of up to 20 million youths with startup capital and support mechanisms aimed at boosting economic participation and reducing social and security risks linked to unemployment.
“We also strictly want to warn against double or multiple registration, as anyone found guilty of such shall be disqualified automatically,” he said.

The YEIDEP boss added that the programme’s core mandate is to “tackle Nigeria’s chronic youth unemployment, youth poverty and youth hopelessness, and also their imposed threats of youth radicalisation, socio-political instability, national insecurity and economic unproductivity, as presently being experienced in the country, which if not addressed, will continue to endanger our human survival and political existence.”

“YEIDEP aims to empower 20 million youths with startup capital as a way of promoting entrepreneurship and self-employment among young people, which is the surest means of generating mass employment for youths, while also addressing the risks of youth frustration, radicalization and restiveness”, Iyere said.