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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.
QNET, leading global wellness and lifestyle direct-selling company, has successfully concluded V-Malaysia 2025, its flagship annual convention, at the Penang SPICE Convention Centre in Malaysia. Held from 21–25 June, the five-day event drew over 8,000 participants from more than 30 countries, including Nigeria, reinforcing the company’s global reach and strong foothold in the African market.
For over a decade, QNET has chosen Penang as the destination for this transformative event, which blends business networking, entrepreneurial development, and immersive personal growth experiences.
The 2025 edition underscores the continued collaboration between QNET, its event partner V Global Management (The V), Tourism Malaysia, the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), and its state-level affiliate, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau (PCEB).
In Nigeria, QNET has steadily gained recognition as a key player in the direct selling and wellness space, empowering thousands of Nigerians with entrepreneurial opportunities, health-conscious products, and financial education.
Through its innovative business model, QNET has fostered a growing community of independent distributors across states like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt. Events such as V-Malaysia provide distributors a platform to connect with the global QNET network, learn from top leaders, and gain exposure to cutting-edge tools and products that can be leveraged in their local businesses.
V-Malaysia has evolved into a premier platform for business networking, entrepreneurial development, and cross-cultural collaboration. The synergy between QNET and The V — an internationally recognised organisation specialising in large-scale training and events has been pivotal in building the convention’s global draw.
YB Wong Hon Wai, Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy (PETACH), emphasised the regional impact of V-Malaysia: “Penang’s vibrant tourism and business events ecosystem continues to attract top-tier events like QNET’s V-Malaysia.
In 2024 alone, Penang recorded an estimated RM1.29 billion in economic impact from such events – a testament to their significance. QNET’s long-term commitment brings not only economic value but also strengthens Penang’s global reputation.”
Trevor Kuna, Chief Marketing Officer of QNET, added: “For QNET, Penang is more than just a venue; it’s a home for inspiration, collaboration, and transformation.
“Our strong base in Nigeria and across Africa makes this event especially meaningful, as we bring together entrepreneurs from across the continent to share ideas and build cross-border relationships that accelerate personal and economic growth.”
The Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), a government agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and parent body of PCEB, plays a pivotal role in Malaysia’s business events ecosystem. In 2023 alone, MyCEB facilitated 248 business events, brought in over 180,700 international delegates, and generated about RM 2.8 billion in economic impact.
For V-Malaysia 2025, MyCEB’s expertise in destination marketing, strategic facilitation, and coordination between federal and state levels (through PCEB) has been instrumental in elevating Penang’s standing as a premier MICE hub.
Complementing this effort is Tourism Malaysia, whose targeted incentives and logistical backing helped deliver V-Malaysia 2025 as a high-impact global event. Their support underscores the government’s broader commitment to positioning Malaysia as a top-tier host for international conferences and high-impact corporate events.
As part of the event’s activities, QNET also unveiled new wellness innovations, including Harmoniq, a bio-signaling patch designed to enhance energy and well-being, and QWIK, a line of oral health and nutrition strips — products set to expand into markets like Nigeria in the coming year.
V-Malaysia 2025 is not just a celebration of innovation and entrepreneurship; it is a dynamic platform that exemplifies how global vision and local action, especially across Africa, can reshape the future of direct selling. For more information about V-Malaysia 2025, please visit QNET’s official website.
In today’s digital world, teens are using social media to connect with their friends, learn and explore their interests.
Instagram has developed a variety of tools to give parents peace of mind, support safer interactions, and empower teens to make thoughtful decisions online. Whether you’re new to the platform or want to stay informed, here are essential safety tools every parent should know about:
Teen Accounts: Teen Accounts were designed to support parents better and give them peace of mind that their teens have the right protections in place. Teen Accounts have built-in protections that limit who can contact them and the content they see. By default, teen accounts are set to private and teens under 16 can only change this default setting with help from a parent or guardian.
Supervision tools (parental controls): As part of Teen Accounts, Instagram offers supervision features that allow parents to stay involved in their teen’s experience on the app. With this feature, parents can monitor how much time their teen spends on Instagram, view who they follow and who follows them, receive updates when their teen reports accounts or content, and set daily time limits or scheduled breaks to help manage usage.
Daily time limit: The daily time limit feature is also part of Teen Accounts. It allows parents and teens to set limits on app usage, encouraging healthier and more mindful engagement over time.
Block, restrict and report feature: Teen Accounts include tools that allow teens to block or restrict people they don’t want to interact with and report harmful content or behavior. Restricted users won’t be able to see when your teen is online or if they’ve read messages.
Sensitive content control: This safety feature, also available through Teen Accounts, lets users filter out potentially upsetting or mature content in Explore and other surfaces. content across Explore and other surfaces.
Educational Family Center: Instagram’s Family Center is an educational hub that provides articles and guidance to help parents have meaningful conversations with their teens about their online experiences and how to make time spent online a positive experience. The hub focuses on providing parents with practical tools from online safety experts, organisations and academics on everything from bullying to cybersecurity.
Take time to explore these features with your teen and use them as a starting point for open, ongoing conversations about their online life. When parents and teens navigate these digital spaces together, everyone wins.
In a bold move to blend digital empowerment with fun and entertainment, the Anambra State ICT Agency, in partnership with the Geeks and Founders Alliance for Soludo (GEFAS), announces the availability of free WiFi at the Anambra Mega Fest/Grand Opening of Solution Fun City.
Powered by Pine Heights Systems (PHSWEB), this initiative reinforces the state government’s commitment to bridging the digital divide and bringing connectivity directly to the people.
Set to hold on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 1 PM, the grand opening of Solution Fun City will light up Awka with a mix of tech-forward innovation and high-energy entertainment, all under the distinguished hosting of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR.
Attendees are in for a tech-enhanced experience featuring music, dance, comedy, games, and electrifying performances from Flavour, Umu Obiligbo, JeriQ, Jennifer Eliogu, Ugoccie, Apete, Ojadili, Ogbuefi I Go Tuk, Onye Obodo, Prince Neche, and many more.
“Technology is one of the greatest equalizers of our time.
Through digital access, we are not only empowering citizens, we are deepening civic participation and driving progress,” said Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, MD/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency and Convener of GEFAS.
The event signals a new chapter in Anambra’s smart governance journey, where technology, inclusivity, and community celebration come together in one dynamic space.
To connect to the Free WiFi: turn your phone’s WiFi, select Soludo Solution WiFi and follow the prompts on the landing page
For details, call: 0201 410 1240
Follow the conversation: @gefasoludo across all social media platforms.
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