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By Chinenye Anuforo
UNICEF, in collaboration with its partners, celebrated a significant stride in youth empowerment as 200 young Nigerian women graduated from the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) program at the Yusuf Grillo Auditorium, Yaba College of Technology.
Each graduating participant was equipped with a laptop and a comprehensive toolkit, providing them with essential resources to pursue careers in the burgeoning technology sector.
The GESP program, a collaborative initiative by UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, UK Aid, and the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership, is specifically designed to bridge the persistent gender gap in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and technical education. The program’s ambitious goal is to empower one million girls across Nigeria with critical digital skills.
The recent graduates underwent intensive, hands-on training over several months in four high-demand technical areas: Web Application Development, Mobile Application Development, GSM and Mobile Phone Repair, and Computer Hardware Maintenance and Repair. These participants, aged between 13 and 24, are now certified and equipped to enter the workforce as entrepreneurs and valuable contributors to Nigeria’s evolving digital economy.
Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, Project Coordinator of GESP, emphasized the broader impact, stating, “We are providing young girls with the opportunity to shape Nigeria’s future. To date, GESP has successfully trained over 1,300 girls across three cohorts, with an additional 2,553 currently engaged in learning through GESP’s accessible online platform.”
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The tangible benefits of the program were highlighted by the beneficiaries themselves. Faith Joseph, a graduate who specialized in GSM and mobile phone repair, confirmed her immediate employment as a technician at Carl Care following the training. Similarly, another GESP beneficiary, Joy, successfully earned N120,000 by developing a website, underscoring the program’s effectiveness in translating acquired skills into direct economic opportunities.
Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, Rector of Yaba College of Technology, lauded the graduation ceremony as a landmark achievement, underscoring the significant impact of collaborative partnerships in overcoming existing societal and economic barriers. He affirmed that the event underscored the institution’s unwavering commitment to inclusive, practical, and future-ready education.
Representing the First Lady of Lagos State, Mrs. Abimbola Odumbaku commended the initiative as a strategic investment in girl-child development. She seamlessly integrated the program’s objectives with the Lagos State Government’s broader vision for cultivating an inclusive and innovative workforce, emphasizing that the education of young women brings “immeasurable benefits to both individuals and society at large.
Mohammed Okorie, UNICEF’s Social Policy Manager, who represented the Chief of Office, Celine Lafoucriere addressed the prevailing skill gap in Nigeria, noting, “The skill ecosystem in Nigeria is below expectations in relevance and scale, with too many youths, especially adolescent girls, left behind.”
However, he expressed optimism, highlighting that the innovations and technologies introduced by the partners have created new opportunities for marginalized girls and women to acquire in-demand skills. Okorie characterized the program as a catalytic force for transforming the nation’s youth skills landscape.
Following their graduation, several participants have already secured job offers, while others have begun mentoring new trainees, and some are actively planning to establish their own independent ventures, such as repair shops and tech hubs. The GESP program is viewed as a crucial blueprint for addressing the critical issue of youth unemployment, which disproportionately affects young women in Nigeria.
