Telecom
IYF, Google.Org Partner to Empower Youths with Digital & Entrepreneurial Skills in Nigeria, South Africa & Kenya
International Youth Foundation (IYF) and Google.org have joined hands to provide young individuals in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria with digital and entrepreneurial skills to enable them secure alternative sources of livelihood.
IYF South Africa with the support and funding of Google.org is currently deploying various programs for young people in the three African countries, which has had an impact in providing them access to digital and entrepreneurial skills. Through its high impact training, IYF South Africa is making a substantial contribution to enabling young people with key skills to develop their entrepreneurial skills through continuous investment made by organizations in IT across all sectors.
Since its inception 30 years ago, IYF has been able to reach 7.7 million young people while working with more than 600 local partners in over 100 countries.
Participating youth are taught business, technical, and life skills as part of the Skills for Success (S4S) program. This will result in an increased demand for highly skilled youth in the IT sector as well as the move towards development of curricula that reflects constant innovation and change that is occurring in the IT field, as a result young people will need IT skills to be successful in a variety of careers.
The IYF is cultivating future industry leaders in Africa as graduates from this program emerge with improved skills, which increase their employability. In addition, Skills for Success is positively changing lives and communities through its placement partners, who provide work opportunities for newly qualified youth.
Speaking on the program, Anusha Naicker, Country Director, IYF South Africa, asserts, “The entrepreneurial component of the program provides guidance and business acumen that are essential for business success. As a result, there is growing confidence among young African entrepreneurs that they can start a business that solves many of the challenges facing their communities.”
Entrepreneurship is marked by job creation rather than job seeking and is one of the most sought-after career paths for young people. The entrepreneurial career path creates meaningful and rewarding opportunities for youth and is therefore a great way for the young generation to explore their areas of interest. Entrepreneurship offers innovative solutions for economic growth and can be a powerful tool to help fight youth unemployment, particularly in developing countries.
“This program taught me the basics of UX design, the design thinking process, how to build prototypes for testing with users, conduct UX research, and design responsive websites. With this knowledge, my design skills keep improving daily, and I can see myself making a living doing what I love,” says Diane Shamaki, a learner from Nigeria (Paradigm Initiative).
Sub-Sahara Africa has the youngest population in the world, in the next 30 years, 60% of Africans will be under the age of 25. Having a young population brings many opportunities for economic growth and innovation, if these opportunities can be recognised and utilised. Youth demonstrate the necessary qualities and mindset to succeed as entrepreneurs, their intuitive ability to navigate technology makes entrepreneurship an ideal career option, given the impact technology will have on entrepreneurial growth.
To succeed as entrepreneurs, they often need to complete training to develop competencies and skills. Skills development programs that offer skills training and could be applied after completion of the program are highly attractive to youth. These programs are one of the avenues used by youth to rise above poverty, inequality and barriers to opportunity, transforming and upskilling Africa.
Given that unemployment is on the rise in Sub Saharan Africa, young people are becoming more robust in seeking alternative opportunities to secure livelihood.
Many learners have pursued entrepreneurial career paths after completing the program, with at least 40% finding employment in all three countries. It takes perseverance, networking skills, and passion to succeed as a young African entrepreneur. Undoubtedly, entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for empowering young people by celebrating their creativity and technological aptitude.
Entrepreneurship among youth is praised not only for its ability to create jobs and empower young people but also for its ability to integrate young people into society, especially those with fewer opportunities. In addition to providing young people with the necessary skills and experiences to thrive economically, youth entrepreneurship also contributes to their countries’ prosperity.
A powerful tool for addressing the rising youth unemployment rate is using micro, small, and medium-sized businesses, which make up 95% of all firms and create 80% of all jobs in Africa. The micro, small, and medium enterprise sectors include a significant portion of young entrepreneurs.
The World Bank claims that young people frequently work in sectors that are expanding quickly and are more likely to hire their peers. When youth-led businesses have the right knowledge, skills, mentorship, funding, and supportive policies, they can grow economies and create jobs.
IYF is honoured to contribute to fostering the conditions necessary for young people to engage in entrepreneurship and raise living standards in their communities and families.
Jane Idehen, director-general of Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat), has said that the organisation is projecting an average annual revenue of three billion dollars as it expands its scope of operations.
disclosed this in Abuja at the July edition of DevsInGovernment MDA workshop series organised by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, with a focus on NigComSat.
The programme supported by Galaxy Backbone and World Bank was tagged: “Driving Operational Excellence through Technology at NigComSat.”
DevsInGovernment is a community that aims to create a group of technologists and tech enthusiasts within the civil service who are actively contributing to digital transformation across all government agencies.
The DG said that for NigComSat to grow, it had to explore new ideas and increase product life, which can lead to significant revenue increases.
“Currently we are projecting to average about three billion dollars in revenue year.
“If we can think about ideas, we can do more than that because if you can increase your product life, you can provide more solutions to problems,” she said.
She said that there were other revenue streams beyond broadcasting, which could double or triple the existing broadcasting revenues.
According to her, creating awareness about the programme’s services and solutions was crucial for its success.
Abiodun Attah, executive director of Technical Services at NigComSat, said the agency was charting a new course in its operations with a view to increasing its revenue earnings and serving the country better.
Attah said that one of the things the agency had done with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) was to carry 2G, 3G, and 4G traffic in rural areas where there was no connectivity.
“In the past, NigComSat was shying away from going into enterprises; it was shying away from doing business outside the government sector.
“Now we have gone beyond that,” he added.
As the world commemorates World Hepatitis Day, Airtel Nigeria is taking bold steps to combat the global health challenge by equipping its employees with knowledge and access.
Reinforcing its ongoing commitment to employee wellness and public health advocacy, the leading telecommunications and digital services provider hosted a companywide Health Talk and announced a free hepatitis vaccination rollout across its offices across the country.
This year’s health and wellness theme at Airtel, “Stay Aware, Get Tested, Vaccinated & Seek Treatment,” aligns with global efforts to eliminate hepatitis and underscores the company’s belief that well-informed, healthy employees are the foundation of a thriving organisation.
In collaboration with its healthcare partner, Leadway Health, Airtel Nigeria brought together staff from across the country for an educational session titled: “Healthy Habits, Healthy Liver: Ending Hepatitis Starts with You!” Led by esteemed medical consultant Dr. Obioma Anomneze-Chima, the session offered critical insights into the causes, symptoms, and prevention of hepatitis, along with practical lifestyle habits to safeguard liver health.
In his remarks at the programme, Airtel Nigeria CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, highlighted the company’s holistic wellbeing philosophy.
He said, “Our people are the heart of our organisation, and when they are healthy, they bring their best selves to work. We’re not just investing in employee performance; we’re investing in their complete wellbeing. From mental wellness to preventive healthcare, our programmes are designed to offer real, meaningful support.”
Speaking during the session, Dr. Anomneze-Chima emphasised the importance of proactive prevention and early testing, “Hepatitis doesn’t always announce itself; it creeps in quietly and can cause lifelong complications. Conversations like this help us catch it before it catches us. I applaud Airtel for giving its employees not just facts, but tools and access to protect their health.”
Director, Human Resources and Administration, Airtel Nigeria, Adebimpe Ayo-Elias, noted that events such as the Hepatitis education and vaccination activity are a firm part of the company’s corporate mission. “This hepatitis campaign is a reminder that corporate responsibility goes beyond business metrics; it’s about actively participating in global health conversations and making a difference where it counts: among our people,” she added.
To sustain the impact of the educational talk, Airtel Nigeria is launching a free hepatitis vaccination programme across its premises, allowing employees nationwide to get vaccinated on-site with ease. This initiative reflects the company’s human-first approach to workforce wellness—prioritising both immediate care and long-term health security.
With this initiative, Airtel Nigeria once again demonstrates its leadership in advancing workplace wellness and health advocacy in the corporate sector. From supporting mental health through its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to promoting physical wellbeing with preventive screenings and vaccinations, Airtel is setting the standard for what it means to truly care for its workforce.
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has reported robust financial and operational results for the first half of 2025, signaling a promising turnaround for the telecom giant amid improving economic conditions and strategic initiatives.
Karl Toriola, ceo MTN Nigeria, said the company’s performance reflected the successful execution of earlier strategies and a more stable business environment. “We are excited by the progress made in the first half of 2025,” he said, highlighting a 54.6 percent growth in service revenue and a remarkable recovery in profits.
MTN’s subscriber base grew to 84.7 million, adding nearly 4 million users despite regulatory changes limiting SIM registrations by third-party agents. Active data users reached 51 million, fueling a surge in data revenue, which rose by an impressive 69.2 percent.
The operator has been investing heavily to meet rising demand and improve service quality. Among its major projects is the $240 million Dabengwa Tier 3 Data Centre—West Africa’s largest—which was launched in July and promises to drive digital transformation for businesses across the region.
On the fintech front, MTN made solid strides by adding over half a million new digital wallets in Q2 alone. Customer deposits grew fivefold since December 2024, pointing to renewed confidence and expanding usage of MTN’s mobile money services.
Economically, Nigeria showed signs of recovery during the period, with the naira exchange rate remaining stable and inflation easing to 22.2 percent. These factors helped strengthen MTN’s financial position and allowed the company to renegotiate tower leases, resulting in significant cost savings.
As a result, MTN swung from a loss after tax of N519 billion in the first half of 2024 to a profit after tax of N415 billion this year. Free cash flow also improved, hitting N409.8 billion, which the company plans to leverage for further network investments.
Looking ahead, MTN Nigeria has raised its full-year guidance, targeting service revenue growth at least in the low 50 percent range and an EBITDA margin above 50 percent. The firm anticipates positive retained earnings and shareholders’ equity returning by the end of Q3.
The company also remains committed to nurturing tech talent and innovation in Nigeria, pledging over N3 billion to support skills development. An accelerator programme offering funding and mentorship aims to empower African startups and drive future digital growth.
Despite some regulatory and macroeconomic uncertainties, MTN Nigeria’s leadership expressed confidence in the company’s ability to adapt and deliver sustained value to shareholders and customers alike.
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