214 Learning entrepreneurial skills has taken on a significance never before seen as a result of their significance to economic growth. In this study, the impact of skill development initiatives on Nigeria's economic development was examined. The study used two objectives: to look into how gender differences in skill acquisition affected economic development and to determine how skill acquisition affected economic development. A quantitative method in the form of a questionnaire was used to sample two hundred (200) unemployed youths. Results revealed that there is a significant gender difference in skill acquisition for economic development and that skill acquisition has a significant influence on economic development. The study concluded that youths perceive skill acquisition programmes to have a positive effect on employment creation. Likewise, gender equality is to be considered in skills acquisition training. In general, the involvement of both genders in skill acquisition programmes will go a long way toward improving the nation's economic development. https://ijbed.org/details&cid=214 https://ijbed.org/cdn/article_file/2023-11-11-10-09-15-AM.pdf Volume 11 Issue 02 28 2023-11-01 2023-11-11 no Self-employment Economic development Empowerment Entrepreneurship Gender separation Skill acquisition none 19956 63 0 Eyitayo Francis Adanlawo Social Transformation Research Entity, Faculty of Humanities, North-West University, Mafikeng, South Africa Nomusa Yolada Nkomo Department of Economics, Faculty of Commerce, Administration & Law, University of Zululand, South Africa