Empowering Nigerian Youth for Transformation and Success
Youth Empowerment Organizations in Nigeria
Youth empowerment programs equip young people with tools to transform their own lives and communities. They help develop resilience, confidence, and leadership traits in youth. These programs also amplify youth voices.
N-Power is a Nigerian government program established in 2016 to tackle youth unemployment and improve social development. It provides a year of job training and monthly stipends for young graduates.
AYEN
AYEN is a youth-centric organization that empowers young people by teaching them new skills and fostering a sense of community. It also organizes workshops, excursions, pilgrimages, charity, and other social activities. It is supported by individuals, cooperate bodies, philanthropists and local donors.
Several youth empowerment programs have been launched by the Nigerian government to provide employment opportunities to young people. These include N-Power, an initiative that provides job training and monthly stipends to its beneficiaries. This program has two divisions: graduate and non-graduate. The graduate program includes N-Power Agro, N-Power Teach, and N-Power Health. The non-graduate program consists of N-Power Build and N-Power Knowledge.
The N-Power program has been around since 2015. It offers jobs to people who are unemployed. The program also gives them entrepreneurship training, occupational safety training, and study tours. Moreover, it helps them start small businesses. This is a great way for young people to get out of poverty. This program has helped lessen the unemployment rate in Nigeria.
YEN Foundation
YEN Foundation supports civil society organizations to practice dialogue for social change by creating open, diverse group dialogue experiences. It also offers training in dialogue methods such as Theory U, international conference participatory discussion methods, and community building. It also promotes new knowledge by publishing monthly newsletters and book publications.
The YEN Foundation is also a member of the Youth Employment Network (YEN), a global partnership to prioritize youth employment on development agendas and share evidence-based policy recommendations. It provides policy advice, innovative pilot projects and knowledge sharing and brokering partnerships. It also conducts impact evaluations to understand what works and why it works to improve youth employment.
YEN membership fees support YEN’s work to build and strengthen its community of practice. Members are expected to attend YEN meetings when possible and contribute their expertise to the network. They are also encouraged to participate in YEN’s learning events and peer exchanges.
YES Foundation
YES Foundation works to empower Nigeria’s youth population so they can productively contribute to the country’s economy. It does this by creating opportunities and the enabling environment for wealth creation. It also promotes socialization, integration, and entrepreneurial and leadership development.
The Foundation has recently taken the initiative to support community-based health interventions, including TB education and PSHE, in schools and communities across the country. Its pioneering program has been a significant contribution to the Nigerian TB and MDR-TB control efforts.
YES has also launched a pilot chicken farm in The Gambia, to provide low-cost and accessible food for rural families. YES is currently hiring 7 Gambian young people to run this social enterprise, providing living wage jobs and promoting family stability. The Foundation has also partnered with Archewell to deliver school supplies and menstrual products to girls in the region. These essential items help young girls to focus on their studies and avoid missing classes due to lack of resources.
YEN Education
YEN Education empowers youth to live value-added lives and develop lifelong skills for meaningful social change. It offers a platform for young people from different communities to work side by side in an integrated and collaborative way. This allows them to understand each other, and it builds community resilience. The organization also encourages youth to volunteer in a variety of meaningful projects.
The YEN Education office in Nairobi works to connect young consumers with the information they need, through a variety of projects ranging from environmental awareness to vocational education training. Its programs are youth-initiated and youth-led, with adult support for coordination and implementation.
YEN’s national president, Chris Kohol, said that the organization would continue to promote youth entrepreneurship development and healthy competition. He said this was vital for a top-notch economy. He also encouraged the YAWEC 2017 summit’s attendees to support and grow aspiring entrepreneurs in the country. He noted that this would help the Nigerian economy.