Cisco and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have unveiled a three-year initiative projected to provide more than $50m in digital learning support for 150,000 Nigerian youths.
The partnership, formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja on Friday, will provide access to training in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, networking and other technology fields.
The initiative will be implemented through the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme, with Cisco expecting to reach 50,000 unique learners annually through its Networking Academy.
Facilitated by the Office of the Vice President’s Delivery Unit, with support from the European Union, the collaboration aims to improve young Nigerians’ employability by bridging the gap between academic qualifications and skills demanded by employers.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Akubo Adegbe, said the partnership would connect young people to workplace experience and internationally recognised digital skills.
“The ambition is not simply to grow the economy but to ensure that Nigerians, especially our young people, have the skills, opportunities and enterprise capabilities to participate in and drive that growth,” he said.
Adegbe said the training would cover programming, IT support, entrepreneurship, data analytics and other areas relevant to sectors such as banking, telecommunications, agriculture, healthcare, manufacturing and education.
He added that the collaboration reflected the government’s focus on job creation, human capital development and expanding economic opportunities under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Adegbe also urged private companies, foundations and development partners to support the fellowship programme through funding, training, mentorship, internships and employment opportunities.
The UNDP Resident Representative, Elsie Attafuah, said the partnership would strengthen the transition from learning to earning by combining workplace experience with practical digital training.
She disclosed that nearly 35,000 fellows had been placed with more than 11,000 host organisations across Nigeria through the NJFP, which offers graduates paid, 12-month work placements.
Attafuah said the next priority was to help participants secure lasting employment, advance professionally or establish businesses after completing their fellowships.
She also called for inclusive access to the initiative, particularly for young women, persons with disabilities and youths in underserved communities.
The Head of Green and Digital Economy at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Yolanda San Jose, said the EU had invested approximately €44m in the NJFP.
San Jose said the Cisco partnership demonstrated how development assistance could attract additional private-sector investment and expand opportunities for Nigerian talent.
She stressed that sustained government leadership and stronger private-sector participation would be essential to the programme’s long-term success.
The NJFP is a Federal Government youth employability initiative funded by the EU and implemented by the UNDP to help young Nigerian graduates gain practical experience and access employment opportunities.
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