Inclusive employment in Nigeria expands as Jobberman and Mastercard train 2.4 million youth and place 600,000 in jobs, targeting marginalised communities

Efforts to promote inclusive employment in Nigeria have gained momentum through a major collaboration between Jobberman Nigeria and the Mastercard Foundation.

Also read: Nigeria, China Partner to Drive Youth Empowerment via AI, Digital Skills

Since 2020, the initiative has trained more than 2.4 million young Nigerians and helped over 600,000 secure work placements.

This programme is part of the Young Africa Works strategy by The African Talent Company, Jobberman’s parent organisation.

Its core goal is to link Nigerian youth, especially those in underserved and marginalised communities, with stable and dignified work opportunities.

Using community-focused outreach and digital tools that function well in low-bandwidth settings, the programme has provided essential skills and access for jobseekers aged 18 to 35.

A significant part of its design is ensuring that technology lowers, rather than reinforces, employment barriers.

As part of its expansion efforts, Jobberman recently hosted the Technology and Employment Inclusion in Marginalised Contexts Roundtable in Abuja.

The event brought together stakeholders from government, civil society, tech firms, and the private sector to discuss ways of dismantling barriers that exclude marginalised groups from the workforce.

Groups identified include women in underserved areas, people with disabilities, and internally displaced persons.

The roundtable also saw the launch of a report titled Technology and Employment Inclusion in Marginalised Contexts, which outlines the obstacles these groups face.

One key finding showed that 72 per cent of employers in Nigeria currently make no deliberate efforts to hire inclusively.

Despite that, there are encouraging trends, as 55 per cent of people with disabilities and 44 per cent of displaced women interviewed had gained employment, largely through creative industries and small-scale agriculture.

The organisers stressed the importance of designing work systems that do not simply acknowledge marginalised people but place them at the centre of future policy and action.

The inclusive employment in Nigeria initiative is now being extended across Africa through The African Talent Company’s operations in Kenya and Uganda.

In Kampala, BrighterMonday Uganda recently hosted a career event offering CV reviews and digital coaching to help young people take control of their future.

The programme’s learnings and policy recommendations will be fed into the Young Africa Works agenda to support more inclusive hiring practices and platform designs across the continent.

Also read: Ogun Empowers Artisans Through Soft Loans, Leadership Training

As Africa’s young population continues to grow, the organisers say now is the time to act. The future of employment must be inclusive, with investments in skills and access that allow every young African to earn a dignified living.