Unilever Nigeria, UNICEF Empower 900,000 Youths With Workplace Skills

Unilever Nigeria Plc has partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund to equip more than 900,000 young Nigerians with employability, digital, and entrepreneurial skills through the Future-X Unilever Campus Ambassadors Programme (FUCAP).

The company disclosed this at a press conference in Lagos, stating that the two-and-a-half-year partnership has leveraged UNICEF’s Youth Marketplace on Opportunities (YOMA) platform, Unilever’s social media channels and campus networks across higher institutions to deliver workplace-ready training to young people.

Unilever is a founding global partner of Generation Unlimited (GenU), a public-private alliance that connects young people to education, skills development and employment opportunities. In Nigeria, the initiative is chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, reflecting what stakeholders described as strong national backing for youth development.

Managing director of Unilever Nigeria, Tobi Adeniyi, said FUCAP represents a partnership model that combines government leadership, UNICEF’s development expertise and Unilever’s sustainability-driven strategy

According to him, the integration of digital learning with on-campus engagement has driven the programme’s reach, with more than 85,000 students impacted through 30 physical career seminars delivered by trained Unilever Future Career Ambassadors and partner institutions across universities and polytechnics.

Adeniyi said the initiative aligns with Unilever’s sustainability priority of improving livelihoods and contributes to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by equipping young people with skills required to succeed in the evolving labour market.

He noted that the company is investing in scalable platforms that equip young Nigerians with practical, future-focused skills while exposing them to opportunities that support a smooth transition from education to employment.

Also speaking, the Chief of the UNICEF Lagos Office and Lead, Generation Unlimited Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, said the partnership had focused on strengthening entrepreneurship, digital capabilities, and career guidance for young people over the past 2.5 years.

She said FUCAP, which is active in 20 universities, bridges the gap between academia and industry by delivering practical knowledge directly to students and creating pathways to employment.