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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.
Meta, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy (FMCIDE), has launched the Llama Impact Accelerator Program to foster AI-driven solutions across critical sectors in Nigeria.
The eight-month program will support early-stage startups developing AI innovations using Meta’s open-source Llama models. Target sectors include Agriculture, Security & Safety, Healthcare, and a wildcard category for other high-impact applications.
Speaking at the launch, Sade Dada, Head of Public Policy, Anglophone West Africa at Meta, emphasized the initiative’s role in advancing Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. “We are thrilled to partner with FMCIDE in supporting local AI talent. Open-source AI should be accessible and relevant to national challenges,” she said.
The program will begin with a six-week incubation period, offering technical training and mentorship from industry experts, followed by six months of extended support, including access to technical resources.
Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, hailed the initiative as a “major step forward” in Nigeria’s AI development strategy. “AI will be a key driver of national growth, and this program equips innovators with the tools to tackle pressing issues,” Tijani stated.
The Llama Impact Accelerator aligns with Meta’s broader mission to democratize responsible AI access while fostering innovation in emerging markets.
In collaboration with academic and government stakeholders, the initiative is expected to accelerate Nigeria’s AI industry and drive impactful change.
Applications for the program remain open until June 27, 2025. More details can be found at llamaimpactssa.splashthat.com.
In an era where climate change, youth unemployment, and food insecurity loom large over the continent, a powerful new force is rising — young African innovators building a green future from the ground up.
At the just-concluded Africa PachiPanda Challenge 2024, organised by MTN and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), Nigerian entrepreneur, Olabisi Rafatu Emmanuel, emerged as one of the continent’s top eco-champions, spotlighting the potential of purpose-driven innovation to rewrite Nigeria’s climate and development story.
While Moses Afopezi of Cameroon took home the top prize with AgricFresh, a smart solution combating post-harvest loss, Olabisi’s reusable menstrual products solutions as a waste transformation model earned her national applause and a seat at Africa’s sustainability table, emerging as the second-place winner.
Speaking during the announcement, MTN’s leadership underscored that this challenge goes far beyond accolades. “Together, we have the power to shape a greener, more sustainable Africa — one bold idea at a time,” Nompilo Morafo, Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, MTN, said.
The triumph comes at a time when Nigeria is grappling with the environmental menace of climate change in major urban hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt, even as the Nigerian government is clamouring for smart innovations to address climate change issues such as climate funding, carbon trading and just energy transition.
The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) recently reiterated calls for tech-based waste management solutions – making Olabisi’s innovation timely and impactful.
MTN says this is just the beginning. With plans to expand the PachiPanda Challenge to more countries and deepen support for eco-entrepreneurs, the telecoms giant is reaffirming its commitment to socio-economic development through green innovation.
As Nigeria sets its sights on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the PachiPanda story is a timely reminder that the answers may lie not in government halls – but in the dreams and drive of Nigeria’s young changemakers.
In what could be a turning point for Nigeria’s global tech ambitions, Zinox Technologies, a strategic integrated tech solution company and pride of Nigeria ICT ecosystem has been officially invited to represent Nigeria at VivaTech Paris 2025, one of the world’s largest technology and innovation events.
The invitation, extended in partnership with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, is seen as a strategic endorsement of Zinox’s over two decades track record of delivering digital infrastructure, innovation, and enterprise solutions across the country for government, corporates and homes including some African countries.
The four-day event, taking place from June 11–14, 2025, is a major fixture in the global tech calendar, drawing startups, corporates, investors, and tech leaders from across the world. Zinox is expected to engage with international players at its assigned booth while showcasing flagship projects and solutions that reflect Nigeria’s evolving digital capacity.
“Zinox represents the kind of indigenous innovation the world needs to see more of — practical, scalable, and deeply rooted in local challenges,” said one of the international event leads, who confirmed their excitement about Zinox’s participation. “It’s a unique opportunity to place African tech at the centre of global conversations.”
From Local Execution to Global Attention
Zinox’s reputation has largely been built on its ability to execute high-impact, often mission-critical tech projects for both public and private sector players. The company is known for powering most government and corporate sector tech infrastructure rolling out the most integrated ICT projects and partnering global manufacturers with it’s iPower renewable energy solutions. Zinox is credited with transitioning Nigeria from analogue to digital democracy, amongst many other critical projects for companies like Chevron, Shell, FIRS, CBN, NPC, and educational institutions just to mention a few.
Its inclusion at VivaTech reflects growing international curiosity about Nigeria’s digital innovation and infrastructure story, particularly from brands that have built success indigenously.
Konga, the e-Commerce Engine, Joins the Spotlight
In an interesting strategic angle, Zinox will also showcase Konga, the composite e-commerce group it acquired in 2018. The move united two major tech forces under one umbrella and enabled a fusion of logistics, fintech, and commerce with Zinox’s core technology expertise.
Since the acquisition, Konga has benefited from infrastructural reinforcements, platform upgrades and supply chain optimization, becoming Nigeria’s most efficient digital marketplace.
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