The World Bank has described Kenya’s National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) programme as a major solution to the country’s youth unemployment challenge.
World Bank Country Director Qimiao Fan made the remarks while joining President William Ruto during the disbursement of funds to NYOTA beneficiaries in Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties.
Fan said the programme is aligned with Kenya Vision 2030 and supports the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which focuses on expanding opportunities for young people at the grassroots.
“The success of NYOTA will be measured by how employable the beneficiaries become and how many are able to start businesses that not only employ themselves but also create jobs for others,” Fan said.
He added that the programme’s long-term success will depend on how many decent jobs are created across the country, noting that the World Bank remains committed to supporting Kenya in this journey.
Fan reaffirmed the Bank’s focus on job creation, saying: “The World Bank does only three things in Kenya: jobs, jobs and jobs. Our entire programme is focused on helping Kenya create more, better and more inclusive jobs.”
He said the Bank supports reforms to improve the business environment, investments in energy, roads, digital technology and skills development, as well as key sectors such as agriculture, all aimed at boosting employment.
During the event, more than 13,000 youth beneficiaries received Sh25,000 each as the first instalment of business start-up grants after completing a four-day Business Development Services (BDS) training.
Under the first phase of the NYOTA Start-Up Capital Programme, Sh22,000 is deposited directly into a Pochi la Biashara account to support business operations, while Sh3,000 is saved in a Haba na Haba account managed by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
A second disbursement of Sh25,000 will be released after mentorship and enterprise evaluation, bringing the total support to Sh50,000 per beneficiary.
The rollout marks the start of nationwide implementation of the programme, which targets 84 youth per ward across all 1,450 wards in the country.
NYOTA is a World Bank–financed Government of Kenya project aimed at improving youth employability, supporting enterprise development and encouraging savings. It targets unemployed youth aged 18 to 29, and up to 35 years for persons with disabilities.
The programme is coordinated by the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy and implemented through a multi-agency approach involving several government institutions.
NYOTA focuses on four key areas: skills and certification, business support, youth savings, and strengthening employment systems.
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