By Nnasom David

Young Advocates for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future (YASIF Nigeria), in collaboration with partners, has commenced the second phase of the IBM SkillsBuild programme under the Reskilling Revolution Africa (RRA) initiative, with plans to train 15,000 young Nigerians.

The organisation reported that the programme was being implemented in partnership with the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and IBM, as part of a broader continental effort to expand access to digital, professional and sustainability-related skills for young people and underserved populations, and to improve employability and job readiness.

It explained that IBM SkillsBuild is a global skills development platform delivered in Africa through the Reskilling Revolution Africa initiative, led by IAVE in partnership with IBM and the African Union, and coordinated at country level by national civil society and volunteer organisations.

According to YASIF Nigeria, the programme provides structured and labour-market-relevant learning pathways via a digital platform that supports self-paced learning, tracks progress and awards internationally recognised IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials. These online courses are complemented by facilitation, mentoring and local learner support.

The organisation noted that SkillsBuild is currently being implemented in several African countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia, where it has recorded strong outcomes such as high learner engagement, significant female participation, tens of thousands of learning hours and thousands of digital badges earned.

YASIF Nigeria stated that it was implementing Phase 2 of the RRA initiative following the successful completion of the pilot phase in Nigeria, which reportedly demonstrated strong learner uptake, gender inclusion and measurable skills outcomes. It added that Nigeria remains a core implementation country for the initiative.

The RRA pilot phase, launched in October 2024, was said to have targeted 30,000 young Africans across Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa. YASIF Nigeria disclosed that Nigeria exceeded its national target by enrolling 12,061 learners on the IBM SkillsBuild platform, mainly unemployed and underemployed youths, including students of tertiary and technical institutions. Female participation reportedly exceeded expectations, contributing to an overall pilot outcome in which nearly 60 per cent of learners were women. Across the three countries, participants were said to have completed almost 93,000 learning hours and earned close to 2,000 IBM SkillsBuild digital credentials.

Building on these outcomes, the organisation said Phase 2 would expand both the scale and structure of programme delivery in Nigeria. Under the new phase, YASIF Nigeria, alongside Emerging Communities and Little Gifted Hands Matter, is coordinating the enrolment of 15,000 youths over a 12-month period, with a minimum target of 50 per cent female participation.

Implementation, according to YASIF, will cover Abuja, Lagos, Kaduna, Katsina and Niger State to ensure broad geographic reach and inclusion of youths from diverse backgrounds. Learners are to be onboarded in weekly cohorts through a blended learning approach that combines IBM SkillsBuild’s online curriculum with in-person facilitation, coaching and peer support provided by trained volunteers and facilitators. The organisation added that it would work with relevant ministries, departments and agencies, as well as private sector actors, to support successful outcomes.

It further reported that learning pathways were designed based on a national survey and aligned with labour market demand and local realities. Areas of focus include climate change and the green economy, digital marketing, artificial intelligence, web development, project management, entrepreneurship and sustainability-related skills. Nigeria is targeting at least 1,500 digital badges during Phase 2, representing a minimum of 10 per cent of enrolled learners.

Beyond skills training, YASIF Nigeria said it is implementing a structured employability and alumni support framework, including career guidance services such as CV development and interview preparation, partnerships with job placement organisations, and entrepreneurship training and mentorship for participants pursuing self-employment. A national alumni network is also being maintained to promote peer learning, collaboration and access to employment and enterprise opportunities.

The organisation added that volunteering remains a central component of the programme, with participants encouraged to apply newly acquired skills through community-based activities, peer learning support and volunteer-led initiatives, which it said enhances practical experience, job readiness and community resilience.

Speaking on the initiative, the Executive Director and Founder of YASIF Nigeria, Blessing Ewa, was quoted as saying that the SkillsBuild Phase of the Reskilling Revolution Africa marked the scaling of a proven youth skills development model grounded in evidence from the pilot phase, with a strong focus on measurable employability outcomes and contributions to preparing young Africans for the digital and green economies.