By Lamu Reporter
Atleast 7000 Lamu youths will benefit from the National Youth Opportunities Towards Advancement (NYOTA) Project, a transformative initiative that seeks to address youth unemployment and promotes entrepreneurship.
Speaking during the launch of the programme Trade and Investment PS Abubakar Hassan Abubakar in Mokowe, led a section of elected Lamu leaders in calling on youth to apply for the NYOTA Project will provide 70 young entrepreneurs from each of Lamu County’s 10 wards with a starting capital of KSHS 50,000 each to start or expand their businesses initiative.
He emphasized that the project extends beyond a simple cash transfer stating that it is a holistic empowerment programme that will also provide apprenticeship placements to equip youth with technical and workplace skills.
A key component is the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), which will certify informally gained skills, thereby boosting their value in the self-employment marketplace.
The PS specifically highlighted the project’s potential impact in marginalized areas, noting it will greatly benefit young people in Lamu East and the wider Boni area, most of whom lack requisite skills and papers required to secure formal jobs.
“The NYOTA project initiative is timely considering the bulging youth population in Lamu county especially those who have been trained within our TVETs aligned with blue economy courses,” Abubakar said.
This sentiment was strongly echoed by Lamu East MP, Captain Ruweida Obo, who passionately called on the youth in her constituency to apply for the programme in large numbers.
Eligible youth can apply for support under the NYOTA Project between October 6th and October 12th, 2025, by dialing *254# on their mobile phones.
“Apart from the NYOTA Project the national government also needs to actively revive its support for UWEZO Fund, The Youth Enterprise Development Fund (YEDF) and The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) with funding in a bid to ensure that a wider pool of Kenyans receive affirmative action opportunities,” she said.
The political goodwill for the initiative was bipartisan, with Lamu West legislator Stanley Muthama lauding the project.
He stated that it creates a clear avenue through which the national government’s “Bottom-Up” approach to development can and will be achieved.
“The national government has shown that it is intentional towards resolving the current unemployment crisis among youths in the country,” the Lamu West legislator stated.
Lamu County Commissioner Wesley Koech further stated that the NYOTA initiative is a good project that seeks to uplift youths similar to the overseas jobs initiative.
He urged public administration officials in the county to create awareness over the initiative especially in Lamu East constituency, which has a higher jobs crisis.
