Wednesday, April 21, 2021 / 04:53 PM / FirstBank / Header Image Credit: FirstBank

The trajectory of Junior Achievement Nigeria reaching over1 million youths is one that has embraced diverse support of individuals,groups, and organisations. The continuous tenacity applied to impacting thelives of youths especially in a time where the pandemic brought many toeconomic recession is one that can best be described as apt. Our programs arehelping young people recover from loss, stay updated and learn in-demand skillsthat could help them become more attractive to the labour market. The supportof Board members such as First Bank of Nigeria Limited, Sigma Pensions,Schlumberger, Citi, Channels Television, Agile Communications, Deloitte, AlikoDangote Foundation, and partner organizations such as Union Bank, Google, ACTFoundation, Facebook, Slum2school gave life to these programs.

JA Nigeria kicked off the year with a financial literacyprogram themed 'Break Free' - #JAPA. 'Break free' was tailored toward impactingthe lives of young professionals on matters regarding money management. Burdenedwith the fact that COVID-19 affected the finances of many, we organised aprogram aimed at helping young people gain financial freedom. With the supportof Sigma Pensions, 'Break free' gave insight on basic finance understandingfinance concepts such as saving, pension, and investments, and strategies tolive a debt-free life.

As you know, one of JA's aims is to build a generation ofdigitally inclined youths. To make this happen, youths need to learn diversestrategies on how to stay safe online. Due to the pandemic, more young peopleembraced online activity, and this led to the implementation of the Safe OnlineSpotlight Series with Facebook. Although Safe Online has since beenimplemented, the COVID-19 outbreak made the implementation even more necessary.This program seeks to help young minds stay aware of online bullies, fraud, andother internet-like dangers that could pose a threat to them while surfing theInternet. JA Nigeria is glad to have Facebook support this program that helpsprotect young people from online dangers.

In the light of impact and choosing to challenge diversesocietal abnormalities that could serve as barriers to the successes of women,JA Nigeria celebrated International Women's Day. An offshoot of marking the IWD2021 was the weekly 'Girls4Tech' program sponsored by Mastercard. This programwas designed to inspire female teenagers between the ages of 8-14 as takingSTEM-related courses could encourage more girls to consider a career in STEM.Did you know that in Nigeria, only 20% of girls are enrolled in STEM-relatedcourses? This reveals the urgency for programs like 'Girls for Tech.' Recall, "An equal world is an enabled world."

Our GoogleIT Support program is on the run! Organisationsare counting on young people who can think outside the box and we delight inbuilding young people to not only think creatively but to see how theirpotentials can cause a global impact. This program is a 4?óÔé¼ÔÇ£6-month program thataims to equip young graduates and 'out of school' youths with 21st centuryprofessional IT skills needed for the job market. At Junior AchievementNigeria, we are intentional about leaving no stone unturned as regards mattersthat can contribute to a thriving economic environment for youths. According toa statement by Adebowale Akinbobola, one of the beneficiaries of the JA NigeriaGoogle IT support program, he stated, "I am looking forward to the othermodules and I appreciate JA Nigeria for this opportunity. I say cheers togreater impact from JA Nigeria and for myself".

In 2020, JA Nigeria started the #NoStudentLeftBehindcampaign to support young people in developing skills that they need to beeconomically independent even in trying times. We look forward to moredonations; this would accelerate our goals towards ensuring that there are NoStudents Left Behind.

In another development, JA Nigeria implemented itsFinancial Literacy Day program as part of the celebration for Global MoneyWeek. Global Money Week is a worldwide celebration held in March to empower thenext generation to be confident and money-savvy global citizens. The eventwhich is in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria was heldsimultaneously in select schools across the country in efforts to create afinancially literate generation. Similarly, through a partnership with PrudenceFoundation. Primary school students were exposed to the basics of moneymanagement through the implementation of the 'ChaChing' program. ChaChing usesthe 'Earn. Save. Spend. Donate.' mantra to teach these students life-longlearning about financial management.

Furthermore, in line with JA Nigeria's mission ofproviding business and economic education for young people, a recycling programtitled 'Every Can Counts' will be implemented with the support of Novelis/GZI. 'Every Can Counts' is an educational program for primary and secondary schoolstudents, where they will be taught and motivated to know about the meaning andvalue of aluminum recycling, the importance of putting recycling into practice,and how this can help them become entrepreneurs who care about a sustainablefuture.

JA Nigeria, however, solicits support from well-meaningNigerians, philanthropists, and corporate organisations to partner with us toaccelerate our impact by helping us raise a generation of conscientiousbusiness leaders leading a vibrant economy and ultimately help young people toown their economic future.

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