Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF Strengthen Ties to Empower 20 Million Nigerian Youth by 2030
The meeting served as a platform to strengthen the existing collaboration between Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF under the Generation Unlimited Naija (GenU 9ja) initiative—a joint effort focused on empowering Nigerian youth through access to digital learning and skills development.
Airtel Nigeria recently welcomed a delegation from UNICEF to its Banana Island headquarters for a courtesy visit, marking the first official meeting between the company’s CEO, Dinesh Balsingh, and Celine Lafoucriere, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office. This visit comes after Mr. Balsingh assumed his role in November 2024.
The meeting served as a platform to strengthen the existing collaboration between Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF under the Generation Unlimited Naija (GenU 9ja) initiative—a joint effort focused on empowering Nigerian youth through access to digital learning and skills development.
During the visit, both parties reaffirmed their shared vision of advancing digital inclusion and youth empowerment in Nigeria. UNICEF acknowledged Airtel’s pivotal role in boosting Digital Learning and Connectivity by offering free access to key platforms such as the Nigerian Learning Passport and Yoma, an international skills development and jobs portal.
Since January, user engagement on Yoma has seen exponential growth—from 5 million to over 20 million visits—with 95% of users benefiting from zero data charges, thanks to Airtel’s support.
Ms. Lafoucriere commended Airtel for its impactful contributions, noting the company’s leadership in helping bridge the digital divide. As part of their ongoing partnership, Airtel and UNICEF aim to transition 20 million young Nigerians from learning to earning by the year 2030 through the Yoma platform and other initiatives.
