With a distinguished record in leadership and advocacy, Funmilayo Doherty now represents Nigeria on the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF’s) 2028–2032 Country Programme Group, contributing to policies that will impact millions of children and families nationwide.
Doherty is a chief lecturer, researcher, and director of Research Support and Grants Management at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos, Nigeria.
She holds an MSc and a PhD in Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Management.
She is a member of several professional bodies, including the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation, where she was the first female president.
Doherty also secured and managed projects funded by the World Bank, UNESCO, Ford Foundation, TEFUND National Research Fund and the FCDO/UNICEF and has authored 60 publications.
Besides, she is actively involved in the international TVET community, the chair of the African Foundation for Quality e-Learning for TVET (AFQueT) based in Kenya, former coordinator of the Yaba College of Technology UNESCO-UNEVOC Centre, and a UNESCO UNEVOC Greening TVET Ambassador.
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She is also a consultant to the Commonwealth of Learning, Canada and an alumna of the UNEVOC TVET Leadership Programme in Germany and the Leaders in TVET programme in Singapore.
She is a qualified Quality Assurance Assessor under the National Skills Qualifications.
Doherty has received many research grants, including a World Bank STEP-B Innovators of Tomorrow research grant in 2011, an AuthorAID grant, 2015 and a Ford Foundation Grantee in 2019 and 2020.
In 2023, she led a team that won the FCDO $1million grant for the Girls Education and Skills Partnership (GESP). Besides, she acts as the project coordinator for the GESP project, empowering young women (13-24) with entrepreneurial, technical, and digital skills to enhance their employability opportunities.
She also leads the Innovation, Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) – Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Initiative program of the Federal Ministry of Education, where the team have trained 100 youths in skills and also placed them on internship in various industries in Lagos. Moreover, she oversees training delivery, stakeholder engagement, and mentorship for trainees, working with partners like INASP and Vodafone UK.
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Doherty also drives policy advocacy, funding efforts, and collaborations with UNICEF and government agencies to expand the program’s impact. In addition to research and teaching,
Her academic trajectories have seen her publish over 50 publications, co-author six books and has a blog where she writes on environmental issues.
She is a trained and experienced international facilitator for online courses and a mentor on several international research platforms. She organised the first-ever online course in YABATECH and contributed to the initiation of the partnership between the college and Commonwealth of Learning (COL), leading to the establishment of the Flexible Skills Development Centre in the institution.
Doherty is one of the pioneer anchor persons of Flexible Skills Development and an advocate of a flexible and blended approach to teaching and learning in YABATECH.
She is the chairperson at the African Foundation for Quality e-Learning for TVET based in Kenya, and the past president of the Society for Environmental Toxicology and Pollution Mitigation (SETPOM).
Her key skills and experience include project management, online course facilitation, mentorship, organisational skills, partnership development, advocacy for gender equity, leadership, monitoring and evaluation, among others.
Speaking on her nomination to join the Reference Group for the federal government–UNICEF Country Programme Development (2028–2032), she expressed delight when she said, I am honoured to represent the institution in this important national assignment.
“The reference group will serve as an advisory and validation platform, ensuring the programme reflects the perspectives of government, partners, civil society, academia, youth, and UNICEF across both programme and operations.
“Grateful to UNICEF Nigeria for the nomination and to the rector and management of Yaba College of Technology for the confidence. I look forward to contributing actively to shaping a responsive and inclusive programme for 2028–2032.”
