Unilever Nigeria Plc (UNP) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have equipped more than 900,000 young Nigerians with employability, digital, and entrepreneurial skills through the Future-X Unilever Campus Ambassadors Programme (FUCAP).
The initiative, which has been running for two and a half years, is designed to bridge the gap between academia and industry by delivering practical, real-world knowledge to students and creating clear pathways into employment.
Speaking at a press conference, the Managing Director of Unilever Nigeria, Mr. Tobi Adeniyi, said the programme had played a pivotal role in improving livelihoods and advancing several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“At Unilever Nigeria, we recognise that young people are at the heart of the country’s future and economic transformation. Through our partnership with UNICEF on FUCAP, we are deliberately investing in scalable platforms that equip young Nigerians with practical, future-fit skills and expose them to real opportunities to learn, grow, and transition confidently from learning to earning,” Mr. Adeniyi said.
The programme has recorded notable milestones, including reaching more than 85,000 students through 30 in-person career seminars delivered across universities and polytechnics by trained Unilever Future Career Ambassadors (FUCAs), in collaboration with partner institutions.
The Chief of UNICEF Lagos Office and Lead, Generation Unlimited Nigeria, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, commended the partnership, noting that it had strengthened an ecosystem that enables young people to move seamlessly from education into employment.
“UNICEF, in partnership with Unilever, remains committed to empowering young Nigerians through the FUCAP initiative. Over the last two and a half years, the programme has focused on equipping young people with entrepreneurship skills, digital capabilities, and career guidance. FUCAP, now active in 20 universities, bridges the gap between academia and industry by bringing practical, real-world knowledge directly to students and creating clear pathways into employment,” Ms. Lafoucriere said.
The FUCAP initiative underscores the impact of sustained collaboration between the private sector and development partners in driving youth empowerment and supporting economic growth.
