ILO/ITU/AU Joint Programme
The ILO and ITU gather key stakeholders to scale up action to boost youth employment and digital skills development in Nigeria’s digital economy
On 2 December 2021, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) brought together key digital economy and youth employment stakeholders. Participants discussed pilot initiatives undertaken in Nigeria as part of the Joint Programme on Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Nigeria’s Digital Economy. Participants also identified best practices to scale up joint action for decent job creation and skilling for youth in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The goal of the programme is to enable more young Africans to access decent work in the digital economy. This is being achieved through country-specific interventions that promote job creation, strengthen digital skills and improve employment services. The programme is generating new evidence for data-driven action and solutions.
In Nigeria, the ILO and ITU are strengthening the knowledge base on the country’s digital economy. This includes an assessment of skills supply and demand in the digital economy. The assessment identifies skills gaps in priority sectors, opportunities for improving youth skills development and detect specific needs that, if addressed, can generate new employment opportunities for young people. The assessment will survey young people, employers and youth employment stakeholders. Its recommendations will inform further programme implementation..@ILO & @ITU are working closely with partners in #Nigeria to enable more young people to access #DecentJobs in the digital economy 🌍🌐 &fulfil their potential
— ILO Africa (@ILOAfrica) December 2, 2021
🗨️Vanessa Phala, Director, ILO Office 🇳🇬🇬🇭🇸🇱🇱🇷 &Liaison Office for ECOWAS📍ILO/ITU stakeholder consultation, Abuja pic.twitter.com/yZ8JCk92ES
The ILO and ITU have also been working with key partners to advance innovative digital skills and job solutions. The Nigerian SDGs Youth Network, a coalition of youth-led civil society organizations, is implementing a Skills for Employment Programme. The initiative equips youth with digital skills with the goal of placing them in internships with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the digital space. The Joint Programme also engages representatives from the Generation Connect Africa Youth Group in its activities.