VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND SKILLS ACQUISITION
As the rates of unemployment and underemployment continue to soar all over the continent, the value of human capital, as well as the pace of development begins to plunge. Youths also account for a whopping 60% of Africa’s unemployed (World Bank 2017). In East Africa for instance, the Kenyan economy has witnessed a surge in the rate of crime and terrorism owing partly to the desperation of unemployed youths who wish to make a living (Atta-Asamoah 2018). All over Africa, unemployment has led to an increase in insecurity particularly following the successful wave of terror in recent times. Today, some extreme political and religious organizations have taken advantage of the situation which may gradually become difficult to contain. In West Africa, the unemployment rate for the continent’s most populous economy, Nigeria quickly rose from 18.1% to 23.1% in the 3rd quarter of 2018 (NBS 2018). More alarming, Nigeria suddenly became the World Poverty Capital with 89.6 million people living in extreme poverty (World Poverty Clock 2018). Sustainable solutions are therefore urgently required to counter the challenge of unemployment in Africa.
We believe that entrepreneurship is key to driving growth in most developed economies; hence, our support is extensively directed towards the youth population who sit at the heart of innovation. By instilling entrepreneurial values in the minds of young people, we intend to drive sustainable socio-economic impact in rural communities.
