Young Advocates for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future (YASIF) Nigeria, in partnership with the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and the International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), is training 15,000 youths in green economy and digital skills.
Mrs Blessing Ewa, Executive Director of YASIF Nigeria, said this in an interview with reporters in Abuja on Saturday. She said the programme would improve employability, job readiness and participation in the digital and green economies.
“Through the SkillsBuild phase of the Reskilling Revolution Africa (RRA) initiative, YASIF Nigeria is scaling a proven model for youth skills development grounded in evidence from the pilot phase.
“The IBM SkillsBuild programme is a global skills development initiative designed to expand equitable access to digital, professional and sustainability-related skills for young people and other underserved populations,” she said.
Ewa explained that in Africa, SkillsBuild is delivered through the RRA initiative, implemented by IAVE in partnership with IBM and the African Union, and coordinated at the country level through national civil society and volunteer partners.
She said the programme provides structured, labor market–relevant learning pathways through a digital platform that supports self-paced learning, measurable progress and the award of internationally recognized IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials.
According to her, the digital credentials are complemented by facilitation, mentoring and localized learner support, and are currently being delivered across several countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia, to maintain consistent quality standards.
Ewa said YASIF Nigeria is implementing Phase II of the SkillsBuild component of the RRA initiative following the successful completion of the pilot phase, which recorded strong learner uptake, gender inclusion and measurable skills outcomes in Nigeria.
She added that the RRA initiative is implemented by IAVE in partnership with IBM SkillsBuild and the African Union, with Nigeria serving as a core implementation country.
“The RRA pilot phase, launched in October 2024, aimed to engage 30,000 young Africans across Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.
“Nigeria exceeded its national pilot target by enrolling 12,061 unique learners on the IBM SkillsBuild platform, largely drawn from unemployed and underemployed youths, including students in tertiary and technical institutions,” she explained.
The YASIF executive director expressed satisfaction with female participation, which surpassed the minimum benchmark and contributed to an overall pilot outcome in which nearly 60 per cent of learners were women.
She said learners collectively recorded almost 93,000 learning hours and earned close to 2,000 internationally recognised IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials, establishing a strong performance baseline for programme scale-up across the three pilot countries.
“Building on these results, the SkillsBuild Phase expands both the scale and structure of programme delivery in Nigeria.
“Under Phase II, YASIF Nigeria, in partnership with Emerging Communities and Little Gifted Hands Matter, alongside other implementing partners, will coordinate the enrollment of 15,000 young Nigerians over a 12-month period, with at least 50 per cent female participation,” Ewa said.
She disclosed that implementation would take place in Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger State to ensure geographic spread and access for youths from diverse backgrounds.
“Learners will be onboarded in weekly cohorts through a blended learning model that combines IBM SkillsBuild’s online curriculum with in-person facilitation, coaching and peer support delivered by trained volunteers and facilitators,” she said.
According to Ewa, YASIF and its partners will collaborate with various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), as well as the private sector, to ensure successful outcomes.
She said the focus areas include climate change and the green economy, digital marketing, artificial intelligence, web development, project management, entrepreneurship and sustainability-related skills.
“Programme performance will be monitored through the SkillsBuild platform, with Nigeria targeting a minimum of 1,500 digital badges earned during Phase II, representing at least 10 per cent of enrolled learners achieving platform-recognised credentials.
“In addition to skills training, YASIF Nigeria and its partners are implementing a structured employability and alumni support framework designed to extend programme impact beyond course completion.
“This includes career guidance services such as curriculum vitae development and interview preparation, partnerships with employment and job-placement organizations, and entrepreneurship training and mentorship for participants pursuing self-employment,” she said.
Ewa added that volunteering remains a core component of the SkillsBuild Phase, with participants encouraged to apply newly acquired skills through community-based activities, peer learning support and volunteer-led initiatives.
