The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Cisco have partnered to expand access to digital skills training and employment opportunities for young Nigerians through the Nigeria Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP). The partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja on Friday, October 9, 2026, to strengthen pathways from digital learning to employment.
Under the partnership, up to 50,000 NJFP fellows and alumni will have free access to Cisco’s Networking Academy (NetAcad) platform on a rolling basis. The initiative will provide opportunities to develop skills in networking, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship, complementing the programme’s existing workplace placements.
UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Elsie Attafuah, said the partnership would strengthen the transition from learning to earning by equipping young Nigerians with relevant digital skills, mentorship and practical experience needed for sustainable livelihoods.
Attafuah said the collaboration would build on the NJFP’s achievements, including placing nearly 35,000 fellows with more than 11,000 host organisations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
“A young Nigerian’s first opportunity to work can change a life. With relevant skills, mentorship and room to grow, it can also strengthen a business, improve public service and create opportunities for others,” she said.
She added that limited work experience, access to relevant skills and connections to employers continued to constrain the prospects of many young Nigerians despite their talent, ambition and ideas.
Attafuah commended the Federal Government, the European Union (EU), state governments, host organisations, mentors and other NJFP partners for supporting the programme, adding that Cisco’s contribution would complement existing workplace placements.
According to her, the partnership would provide training in networking, cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship to help young people apply their knowledge in practical work settings.
She said these skills could help young people handle technical assignments, advance their careers and enable small businesses to protect client information and use data to reach customers.
Attafuah urged partners to prioritise inclusion, particularly for young women, persons with disabilities and young people in underserved communities.
She also called on employers, state governments and development partners to strengthen the transition from digital training to employment, stressing that learning should be practical and accessible to enable young Nigerians to address real-world challenges and contribute to national development.
Ms Yolanda San Jose, Head of Green and Digital Economy at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, said digital transformation was reshaping sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, finance, healthcare and public administration.
San Jose said digital competencies were becoming increasingly important to Nigeria’s economic competitiveness, adding that the country’s future prosperity would depend largely on its ability to equip young people with the skills, opportunities and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly changing global economy.
She said the EU had invested approximately €44 million in the NJFP as part of its commitment to strengthening the link between education and employment.
San Jose commended the UNDP-Cisco partnership, adding that continued government leadership, private-sector participation and sustained investment could enable the programme to benefit more young Nigerians than initially planned.
“The European Union, under the Global Gateway strategy, remains committed to working alongside Nigeria to build a more competitive, greener, more digital and more inclusive economy,” she said.
Mr Abdelaziz Saidu, Cisco’s General Manager for Nigeria and Ghana, said the partnership would provide young Nigerians with access to internationally recognised digital learning resources to improve their employability.
Saidu said Cisco Networking Academy had already reached more than one million learners in Nigeria, providing a foundation for expanding access to skills increasingly required by employers across different industries.
He said Cisco would contribute digital learning content and training opportunities valued at more than $52.7 million, with the initiative targeting 50,000 learners annually over the next three years.
“This initiative reflects a shared commitment to unlocking the immense potential of Nigeria’s youth and prepares them for the future of work,” he said.
Saidu added that Cisco was pleased to contribute its expertise to an initiative connecting digital learning with practical experience and professional development to support Nigeria’s digital and economic growth.
Mr Akubo Adegbe, Senior Special Assistant to the Vice-President on Delivery and Coordination, said digital competencies were becoming essential across all sectors, making it necessary to prepare young Nigerians for emerging opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
Adegbe commended the partnership, saying it would strengthen the government’s efforts to expand employment opportunities by equipping young Nigerians with relevant skills and practical experience.
“The objective has been really simple, to expand opportunities for young people to build the skills and experience they need to work now and in the future,” he said.
He added that the government would continue working with its partners to sustain the NJFP and establish mechanisms to ensure collaborations produced measurable results for young people and contributed to building a competitive, digitally enabled Nigerian economy.
Mrs Rebecca Oyesola and Ms Abiodun Kayode, NJFP alumnae and fellows, commended the UNDP, Federal Government and EU for the initiative.
They described it as an opportunity to expand employable skills and professional engagement for Nigerian youths.
They said the partnership would strengthen young people’s access to relevant digital competencies, practical learning and career development opportunities, while encouraging further collaboration to ensure more Nigerians benefited.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the partnership will provide free access to Cisco’s NetAcad platform for up to 50,000 NJFP fellows and alumni on a rolling basis, facilitated through the Office of the Vice-President’s Delivery Unit (OVP-DU).
