The Standard Chartered Foundation (the Foundation) and UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited (UNICEF GenU) have today announced a partnership to help secure 1,500 decent jobs for young women in Nigeria.

Being implemented in Nigeria and Kenya, the three-year partnership will focus exclusively on women aged 18-24 from under-served backgrounds and will support UNICEF GenU’s dynamic and expanding ecosystem of global and local partners, which is a public-private approach that has already made significant strides in skills training for young people. The partnership builds on this successful work by selecting participants from the existing pool of talent that have come through UNICEF GenU’s skills training initiatives, prioritising support to help young women secure decent work.

(L-R): Bharat Kundra, Programme Specialist (Skills Development), UNICEF Nigeria; Rimamskeb Nuhu, Special Assistant to the President, Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Office of the Vice President; Ayodeji Adelagun, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited (SCBN); Celine Lafoucriere, Chief of Lagos Field Office and Chief of GenU 9JA & Private Sector Partnerships Unit, UNICEF Nigeria; Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, SCBN and Tosin Osibodu, Office of the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Climate Change and Circular Economy at the launch of Links to Work program sponsored by Standard Chartered Foundation in Lagos recently.

UNICEF in Nigeria and Kenya will work closely with local job placement experts to connect young women with employment opportunities in the private sector. Additionally, UNICEF will support collaborations with local government initiatives to explore pathways to jobs which are based on local needs.

Speaking at the launch event in Lagos, Ayodeji Adelagun, Acting CEO, Standard Chartered Nigeria Limited, said “This collaboration underscores our steadfast strategic dedication to actualizing economic opportunities for young people through concrete employment initiatives. By integrating UNICEF’s comprehensive skilling ecosystem with our employability goals centered on work readiness and vocational training, we are establishing a sustainable empowerment framework that bridges talent development and actual job placement. Through the creation of dignified work opportunities, we contribute to fortifying local economies, exemplify private sector involvement in national development, and promote sustainable, inclusive growth.”

L-R – Cross-section of Participants at the launch of the Links to Work program sponsored by Standard Chartered Foundation in Lagos.

Wafaa Saeed, UNICEF Nigeria Representative, said, “Young women in Nigeria have the skills and the drive, what they need are real opportunities. When they are connected to decent jobs, they not only transform their own lives but also strengthen families and power communities. Unlocking their potential is how we move Nigeria forward, and this partnership makes that future possible.”

Rimamskeb Nuhu, Special Assistant to the President, Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Office of the Vice President; Ayodeji Adelagun, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited (SCBN), and Participants at the launch of the Links to Work program sponsored by Standard Chartered Foundation in Lagos

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information please contact:

Joke Adu
Head, Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing, Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited
[email protected]

About Standard Chartered Foundation
The Standard Chartered Foundation is a charitable organisation established by Standard Chartered in 2019. It is committed to helping tackle inequality by empowering under-served young people, especially women and people with disabilities. It sets the strategy for – and funds – youth employability and entrepreneurship programmes across Standard Chartered’s markets, helping young people access the skills, networks and support they need to secure decent work and create jobs. The Standard Chartered Foundation is a registered charity in England and Wales (charity number 1184946). See the website for more information: The Standard Chartered Foundation

About Standard Chartered
We are a leading international banking group, with a presence in 54 of the world’s most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, and our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, here for good.

Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong stock exchanges.
For more stories and expert opinions please visit Insights at sc.com. Follow Standard Chartered on X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook

NOTES TO EDITORS

For UNICEF:
UNICEF does not endorse any brand, product or service.

For further information please contact:
Sussan Akila| Communication Specialist UNICEF Nigeria | [email protected] | 234 8036577670

About Generation Unlimited
Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, Generation Unlimited is a leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership on a mission to skill and connect the world’s 1.8 billion young people to opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, and social impact. Anchored in UNICEF, the partnership brings together global organizations and leaders including Heads of State, CEOs, Heads of UN agencies, and civil society champions with young people to co-create and deliver innovative solutions on a global scale. Visit us at generationunlimited.org

About UNICEF
UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child; in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children in Nigeria, visit www.unicef.org/nigeria. Follow UNICEF Nigeria on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

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