Yabatech Secures N1.5bn Grant For Girls’ Education, Skills Partnership

Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) has been awarded a prestigious grant of N1.5 billion for the Girls’ Education and Skills Partnership (GESP).

A statement by the communications team of the foremost institution said, the significant achievement came as a result of a proposal developed by a distinguished team of researchers from Yabatech, comprising Dr Funmilayo Doherty, Dr Ibraheem Abdul, Engr Adebayo Adebari, Mr Amos Alade, Dr Olusola Dada and Dr Idowu Aneyo who is the only lecturer from University of Lagos.

The grant proposal, according to the statement, was selected through a thorough process by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Yabatech stood out in the competition, reflecting the institution’s unwavering commitment to education and skill development.

“The GESP initiative, funded by FCDO and managed by UNICEF Nigeria in collaboration with leading businesses, aims to empower adolescent girls and young women by enhancing their access to valuable skills and economic opportunities. This endeavor seeks to equip young women aged 13-24 with the necessary tools to thrive in today’s competitive landscape, fostering entrepreneurship, employability, and access to further education,” it stated.

“GESP which is operational in Bangladesh, Nigeria and India focuses on promoting equality of choice and access to learning, skilling, and livelihood opportunities. With Yabatech’s successful proposal, the impact of GESP will extend to Lagos State, Nigeria, where 5,250 girls will receive comprehensive training in four computer skill areas namely GSM and mobile phone repairs (GMR), Computer Hardware Maintenance and Repairs (CMR), Mobile Applications Development (MAD) and Web Application Development (WAD) over the course of two years.

“The project involves collaboration with the International Network for Advancing Science and Policy (INASP) UK. It will utilize INASP’s well-regarded methodology for incorporating gender-responsive pedagogy into skills development,” the statement added.