The Rockefeller Foundation recently announced a $500,000 grant in favour of Paradigm Initiative Nigeria.
The paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) is an ongoing project that works to get disadvantaged Nigerian youths familiar with opportunities in tech.
According to Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of PIN, “unemployment is a major challenge in Nigeria. Each year, tens of thousands of students graduate from tertiary institutions but only 10% of them are gainfully employed two years after graduation. Disadvantaged communities account for a majority of these unemployed youth. The digital jobs campaign presents an opportunity for Nigerian youth to generate income and build their digital skills, while preparing themselves for future work in the digital economy.”
The digital jobs industry is estimated to grow to about $5 billion global by 2018. The grant will enable PIN better provide awareness campaigns and training, targeted at disadvantaged Nigerian youths. The idea is to expose them to the opportunities in digital/online jobs. PIN also looks to expand their program beyond Ajegunle to cover other locations across Nigeria, beginning with the South-East and North-East regions.
The grant comes under the Rockefeller Foundation’s Digital Jobs Africa initiative, which was launched in 2013 and runs in six African countries, including Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, and South Africa.
