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By Zouera Youssoufou, Managing Director & CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation
By 2030, young Africans will make up 42% of the world’s youth population. That’s not just statistics, it’s the future of our continent. Every year, over 10 million young people enter the workforce, but only a fraction secure formal employment. Without meaningful, holistic investments in education, entrepreneurship, and economic empowerment, millions risk being left behind.
Philanthropy has a vital role in changing this trajectory. More than just providing funding, it can create lasting systems that equip young people with the tools to build their own futures. When done right, philanthropy doesn’t just fill gaps, it builds bridges. It empowers young Africans to become leaders, innovators, and changemakers in their communities.
Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive positive transformation. But it must be accessible, relevant, and future-facing – and it must go beyond the traditional classroom. At Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), where I serve on the Governing Board, we have seen firsthand what happens when young people are equiped not just with knowledge, but with confidence, practical skills, and leadership opportunities.
One powerful example regarded highly by Aliko Dangote Foundation is the Venture in Management Program (ViMP) run by Junior Achievement Nigeria. Designed as a mini-MBA for young graduates, ViMP delivers real-world business insights, leadership training, and exposure at the highest levels. It’s an investment not just in knowledge but in mindset.
And it works.
Ruby Igwe, a ViMP alumna, now leads as Country General Manager at ALX Nigeria, where she’s building Africa’s next generation of digital talent and reimagining access to tech education. Vincent Egbe, also a ViMP alumnus, is the Managing Director of GB Foods Nigeria, the powerhouse behind beloved household brands like Gino, Bama, Jumbo, and Jago. These leaders and many others like them are walking proof that when we invest in leadership early, the returns ripple across industries, families, and entire economies. These are not outliers. They are indicators of what’s possible when we make the long-term, intentional choice to back young talent, not just with hope, but with structure.
This is the kind of transformation philanthropy can enable. At Aliko Dangote Foundation, we don’t just look at immediate needs; we think about legacy. How do we plant seeds today that become forests tomorrow? That’s why our commitment to ViMP, a strategic youth development program, continues. We have seen the results, and we believe in scaling it further.
Yet, the task ahead is too vast for any single organization or sector. Africa’s youth population is the largest and fastest growing in the world. If we are to truly harness it as a demographic dividend, we must move beyond isolated efforts. We need a collective movement of foundations, companies, and institutions willing to do more than donate but also willing to innovate, partner, co-create, and scale.
ViMP is a model that works, and the real opportunity lies in what happens when more organizations get involved. It is time businesses see leadership development not as charity but as a core strategy for futureproofing their industries and markets. The CSR narrative must evolve from episodic acts of giving to sustained investment in Africa’s talent pipeline. Businesses should co-invest in youth programmes that are measurable, scalable, and rooted in Africa’s unique context and realities.
If you’re a business leader, consider how your organization can host ViMP fellows, provide mentorship, or support the program’s expansion to more young Nigerian graduates. If you’re part of a foundation or institution, consider how your financial, intellectual, or infrastructural resources can help scale these models to reach more communities, especially those that have historically been overlooked.
Africa’s future isn’t a distant dream, it is an active project. And that project is already underway. If we want to shape a continent that is competitive, innovative, and inclusive, we must equip the people who will build it. Not someday. Not eventually. But now.
The question is not whether we should act; it is how boldly we are willing to step forward.
So let’s move beyond potential and into power. Let’s fuel the transition from promise to performance. Let’s meet the ambition of Africa’s youth with action that matches it.
Because when they thrive, Africa rises and the rest of the world with it.
About JAN
Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) is a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering young people with skills and resources that will help them succeed in a rapidly evolving global economy. Through its dynamic programmes in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, work readiness, and digital literacy, JAN has impacted over 1 million students across Nigeria. By fostering creativity, innovation, and financial literacy, JAN is preparing the next generation of Nigerian leaders to drive economic change.
Additional information may be found at info@ja-nigeria.org
Media Contact: Tobiloba Olaosun – tobiloba.olaosun@ja-nigeria.org, +2348068110942
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