Over 2 million Nigerian youths benefit from GenU 9JA initiative in 2023 — UNICEF

Participants at the meeting held in Lagos.

No fewer than two million Nigerians, who are adolescents and young adults have benefited from GenU Naija Initiative in 2023 alone, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

GenU 9JA is a public-private partnership platform designed by UNICEF Nigeria to address digital and other skills gaps necessary to prepare youths for the world of work and amplify their voices on issues that will support their transition from learning to income earning.

UNICEF’s Representative in Nigeria, Cristian Munduate, made this disclosure in her address to a high-level meeting held by the global body in Lagos with government officials, development partners, youths, and some companies including IHS Towers, Microsoft, Airtel, Unilever, ATC, Jobberman, Cisco and MTN, recently.

At the meeting, participants appraised and assessed the progress made by the GenU 9JA public-private partnership platform in the outgoing year.

Munduate, in a statement by UNICEF’s Communication Officer, Blessing Ejiofor, said with the current crisis in the nation’s education sector, the partnership has greatly enhanced digital access, learning, and soft and job-related skills for Nigerian children and youths.

She emphasised that the initiative is critical for the nation’s future and also a testament to the power of collaboration between public and private sectors and the youth as generational agents of change.

According to her, most of the hover 2 million beneficiaries are from underserved communities and up to 820 schools using such platforms as the Nigeria Learning Passport (with nearly 750,000 users) as well as the Youth Agency Market Place, YOMA, and other UNICEF digital platforms.

In his remark at the forum, Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mobolaji Ogunlende, praised the initiative, saying “UNICEF GenU 9JA embodies our commitment to youth empowerment.

He explained that equipping the youth with the necessary skills is a great investment in Nigeria’s future to produce a generation poised for sustainable development and economic prosperity.

Also speaking, Director of Partnerships at Tony Elumelu Foundation, Iruka Ndubuizu, highlighted the importance of the partnership, saying “The private sector’s involvement in this platform is aimed at providing holistic support to young people and nurturing a resilient economy fueled by them as most valuable economic asset”.

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