YABATECH, UNICEF begin million girls’ empowerment

The Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, in collaboration with the United Nations International Children’s Fund, is set to empower one million Nigerian girls with educational skills through UNICEF’s Girls’ Education Skills and Partnership.

The Rector of YABATECH, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, disclosed this at the opening ceremony of a five-day workshop on Girls Education Skills and Partnership sponsored by UNICEF and Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office.

The college is expected to empower 5,000 girls in Lagos State to boost access to economic opportunities for adolescent girls and young women, supporting them to become employable, entrepreneurial, and better skilled in information communication technology.

Abdul said the initiative would provide sustainable livelihood training for the girl child, necessary skills acquisition, and significant employment.

The rector said, “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 to providing our students with the necessary skills to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

“As far as the National Skills Qualification Framework 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 to ensure that the workshop is successful.”

The Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education, Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by the Director, NBTE South-West zonal office, Mr Ayo Aroge, commended YABATECH for its commitment to skills development in Nigeria.

“the future of Nigeria 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,” he said.

The project coordinator, Dr Funmilayo Doherty, in her welcome address, said that the workshop was made possible through the support of UNICEF and FCDO.