YABATECH to land Canada-UNICEF tech empowerment initiative

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) is set to land Canada-UNICEF-backed digital and technical empowerment programmes following Randeep Sarai, Canada’s secretary of state for International Development, visit to the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP) hub at the institution.

The visit, undertaken in partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited, was aimed at assessing the impact of the Generation Unlimited programme in Nigeria and exploring opportunities for scaling up youth empowerment initiatives, particularly for girls in technology and innovation.

Ibraheem Abdul, the rector of Yaba College of Technology, in his speech, during the visit, described Nigerian youths as “diamonds” whose talents must be polished to shine globally through education, innovation and technical skills acquisition.

“The institution, which will mark its 80th anniversary next year, has continued to position itself as a leader in technical and vocational education by equipping students with industry-relevant competencies capable of producing global champions,” he said.

Abdul disclosed that the college currently has over 36,000 students and has deliberately intensified efforts to encourage girls to venture into technical fields traditionally dominated by men, including ICT, engineering and digital innovation.

“We are working to ensure that these girls emerge as champions even in global skills competitions.

“The partnership with UNICEF and Generation Unlimited had significantly enhanced the institution’s capacity to train and empower young women,” he said.

Besides, explained that Yaba College of Technology was the first tertiary institution in Nigeria selected as a flagship institution for the programme.

Randeep Sarai said Canada remained committed to initiatives that empower girls and prepare them to become future leaders and contributors to the global workforce.

“It is an honour to be here and to witness the Generation Unlimited project.

“Uplifting girls and giving them the training to face the challenges of the world is one of the most effective ways to empower women and strengthen a country,” Sarai said.

He explained that Canada’s growing engagement with African nations was driven by its Africa Strategy, aimed at supporting the continent’s rapidly expanding youth population with quality education, digital skills and employment opportunities.

“Nigeria has one of the largest youth populations in the world, and 51 per cent are young girls. We want to ensure they acquire the skills necessary to contribute meaningfully to the economy and global workforce,” he said.

The Canadian official commended the entrepreneurial spirit demonstrated by the programme beneficiaries and encouraged them to continue building sustainable careers in technology and innovation.

Celine Lafoucriere, the chief of the field office at UNICEF Nigeria, described the partnership as a strategic investment in the future of girls and young women in Nigeria.

She stated that the programme aligns with UNICEF’s mission of supporting adolescents and young people with opportunities that improve livelihoods and strengthen economic participation.

Funmilayo Doherty, the coordinator of the GESP programme at Yaba College of Technology and director of the Centre for Research Support and Grants Management, earlier presented an overview of the initiative and highlighted its transformative impact on thousands of young women.

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“The programme has already surpassed its target by training over 11,250 young women in gender-responsive technical and digital skills, including GSM and mobile phone repairs, computer maintenance, web application development and mobile application development,” she said.

Doherty explained that the programme adopts an industry-academic partnership model, enabling participants to combine practical apprenticeship training with formal academic qualifications under the Nigerian National Skills Qualification Framework.

Moreover, she said that the mentorship component of the programme had become one of its strongest pillars, helping beneficiaries build confidence, leadership capacity and entrepreneurial skills.

“The girls are moving from learning to earning. They are entering male-dominated fields with confidence and becoming role models in their communities,” she said.

She cited several success stories of beneficiaries who had established businesses, secured employment opportunities or become trainers and mentors themselves.

Doherty disclosed that the GESP hub at Yaba College of Technology has evolved into a safe innovation space where girls continue to access mentorship, internships, entrepreneurial support and professional opportunities even after graduation.

She added that the institution had committed resources toward sustaining the hub and scaling the programme to reach more girls across Nigeria.

Among the beneficiaries reportedly earned about N150,000 from a FinTech-related web development project, while another former trainee now runs a phone repair business after previously hawking goods on the streets of Lagos.

The event featured demonstrations in computer hardware maintenance and youth-led participatory action research projects carried out by beneficiaries of the programme.