YABATECH and UNICEF Join Forces to Empower One Million Nigerian Girls

Caption from left: he Yabatech-UNICEF Project Coordinator, Dr. ‘Funmilayo Doherty, Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul, the representative of Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Mr. Ayo Aroge and Ag. Registrar, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Emmanuel Akinwale at the opening ceremony of the workshop, Girls Education Skills and Partnership (GESP) sponsored by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) held at Yabatech

Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) in partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) are to train a million girls in Nigeria on education skills through the UNICEF’s program, Girls’ Education Skills and Partnership (GESP).

The college is expected to empower five thousand (5000) girls in Lagos State to boost access to skills and economic opportunities for adolescent girls and young women, supporting them to become employable, entrepreneurial and better skilled in information communication technology (ICT).

The rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a five-day course design workshop on Girls Education Skills and Partnership (GESP) sponsored by the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) holding at the college PTDF/CITM Computer laboratory with over sixty participants.

Dr. (Engr.) Abdul emphasized the significance of the Girls’ Education Skills and Partnership project, which seeks to provide sustainable livelihood training for the girl child, necessary skills acquisition and having significant employment.

He highlighted the importance of ICT skills, stressing that they are in high demand and are essential for long-lasting skill development. The project, he mentioned, will utilize a pedagogical approach, combining online learning with practical workplace experience.

“Empowering our girls with ICT skills is not just about addressing the gender gap; it’s about equipping them with tools for a sustainable future, and we are committed at providing our students with the necessary skills to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape;” the rector stated.

According to him, “As far as National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) is concerned, YABATECH is leading the trend by tapping into its objectives of targeting 5,000 women for profitable skills acquisition”.

“This is the first workshop in the college that will strictly target girls’ empowerment, it is very expedient to give the women the conducive atmosphere in acquiring skills, and the College has what it takes in ensuring that the workshop is successful”; he said.

The rector enjoined the participants to pay rapt attention during the intensive workshop in order for them to acquire the required skills and template towards making the project a success.

In his speech, the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by the Director, NBTE Southwest Zonal office, Mr. Ayo Aroge commended Yabatech for its commitment to skills development in Nigeria.

He expressed the board’s excitement about the College’s initiative to train the girl child, which aligns with the current demand for skilled professionals.

According to him, “the future of our nation depends on the quality of education we provide our young people, and initiatives like this are crucial in ensuring that we remain competitive in the global economy,”

Prof. Bugaje remarked that by investing in the skills development of our girls, Yabatech is not only empowering them but also contributing to the overall development of our society.

He expressed that the workshop, aiming at empowering 5,000 girls for skills acquisition in Lagos State, has active roles in which men will play as well, and congratulated the participants for attending.

The project coordinator, Dr. Funmilayo Doherty in her welcome address said that the workshop is made possible through the support of United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

She said that facilitators at the workshop were drawn from the team from United Kingdom partners, INASP and Nigerian counterparts with focus on gender-responsive pedagogy approach that will be integrated into the learning design template.

Doherty declared that the range of learning resources will be developed to equip adolescent girls and young women with market relevant skills and the courses during the workshop includes resources for Adolescent Girls and Young Women developed as Open Education Resources for GSM and Mobile Phone Repairs, Computer Hardware Maintenance and Repairs, Mobile Applications Development and Web Application Development.