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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.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
In an era where customer complaints about data consumption often play out on social media, MTN Nigeria took an unusual step. Rather than issue another statement, the company opened its doors and invited critics, customers, influencers and journalists to interrogate its operations at the Data On Trial in Lagos.
Dr Karl Toriola, MTN Nigeria
The session offered a rare glimpse into the realities behind Nigeria’s digital economy. MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr Karl Toriola, acknowledged public concerns and encouraged participants to ask difficult questions. “Give it to us as hard as you can. Ask us the most difficult questions, don’t hold back,” he said. The company used the platform to explain how factors such as automatic cloud backups, video streaming and app settings contribute significantly to data consumption, issues many users often overlook.
Beyond addressing consumer concerns, MTN shed light on the scale of investment required to keep Nigeria connected. Toriola disclosed that the company invested close to ₦1 trillion in network infrastructure last year and plans to exceed that figure this year. He explained that these investments support network expansion, improved capacity and service delivery for millions of Nigerians across the country.
The session also highlighted MTN’s commitment to accountability. Company executives explained that MTN’s billing systems are independently audited and reviewed by regulators to ensure accuracy and fairness. “What we are saying authoritatively is we will never deliberately shortchange you on the consumption of your data,” Toriola stated, reaffirming the company’s position on customer trust and transparency.
More than a defence of its network, Data On Trial reflected a company willing to engage openly with the people it serves. At a time when digital connectivity has become central to everyday life, MTN’s decision to answer tough questions in public signalled a broader commitment to transparency, customer education and continuous investment in Nigeria’s digital future.
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