Bauchi, UNICEF launch programme to empower 13,000 girls with digital skills

The Bauchi State government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has launched a programme called Girls Employability and Skills Partnership (GESP) to empower 13,000 adolescent girls with digital skills.

The initiative aims to promote self-reliance and eliminate poverty among girls between the ages of 10 and 24 in both formal and informal sectors.

The GESP programme started in 2013 and is expected to run until 2030. The programme is being funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in the United Kingdom and the Standard Chartered Bank. It will be implemented in four states across Nigeria, including Bauchi.

The programme is focused on providing adolescent girls with the necessary skills and knowledge to become entrepreneurs and create wealth for themselves.

The GESP initiative will leverage the Nigerian Learning Passport (NLP), which is an online platform that provides access to digital skills training and educational resources to support the development of young people in Nigeria.

Tusshar Rane, UNICEF Chief of Field Office, said the GESP initiative will promote skills development and create employment opportunities for the girls.

“The initiative is expected to positively impact the country’s future job growth enabling programme between 2021 and 2030,” he said.

Mukhtar Ibrahim, who presented the programme during a one-day consultation meeting in Bauchi, said the GESP initiative in Bauchi aims to equip 13,000 adolescent girls with entrepreneurship skills and promote wealth creation in the state.

“It is in line with the federal government’s economic agenda.

“It engaged multilateral agencies and the private sector in creating special opportunities for young Nigerians,” Ibrahim said.

The project will leverage multilateral agencies and the private sector to create special opportunities for young Nigerians.

The GESP initiative is a significant step towards addressing the challenges of unemployment and poverty among adolescent girls in Nigeria. The programme is expected to contribute to the development of digital skills and entrepreneurship among young people, promoting self-reliance and economic growth in the country.