In November 2024, we launched a 12-week vocational skills program in Abuja in partnership with a local artisan cooperative. Thirty participants — aged 18 to 32, roughly equal men and women — enrolled in three tracks: tailoring and fashion design, electrical installation, and mobile device repair.
By March 2025, all thirty had completed the program. Twenty-three have already earned income from their new skills — some through apprenticeships, others by taking on their first paid jobs, and three who have formally registered their own micro-businesses.
The financial literacy component was, unexpectedly, what participants said they valued most. 'I always made money but never kept it,' one graduate told us. 'Now I know how to separate business money from personal money. That has changed everything.' We are building this out into a standalone module for our next cohort.
Skills training is only as good as the market that receives it. We are working on the demand side — building relationships with small and medium enterprises in Abuja who will offer employment pipelines to future cohorts. We want to be less of a training provider and more of a pathway builder.
Our 2025 cohort will expand to five cities and 150 participants. We are seeking corporate sponsors and volunteer mentors with business backgrounds. If you can offer a market, a mentorship, or a meaningful connection, please reach out.