How Addressing the Digital Literacy Gap in Nigeria Will Help Combat Youth Unemployment
Serving With Love (SWL) Foundation has just launched its Digital Life After School Programme (DLASP) centre in Lagos, Nigeria on Sunday, December 10, 2023. This initiative, founded in May 2018, aims to address the pressing issue of youth unemployment by providing technology education to children from low-income families.
The launch comes at a critical time, with reports indicating that 85% of Nigerian graduates lack the digital skill sets required for the contemporary job market, according to GetBundi, an online education technology company. Another report by an education specialist at UNICEF, stated that only 7% of Nigerian youths possess the ICT skills necessary for working and living in a digital economy. In light of this, SWL Foundation’s DLASP seeks to equip young minds with essential digital and technology skills, offering a lifeline to those who may otherwise struggle to secure employment opportunities.
Eniola de Hollain, founder/trustee of SWL and co-founder of the Africa Communications Week (ACW), highlighted the foundation’s commitment to empowering the youth through education. “The DLASP programme is not only about teaching children how to use computers and technology, it’s a mandate to arm them with the skills that will equip and increase their competitive chances now and in the future work environment,” she affirmed.
Tomi Otudeko, another founder/trustee of SWL and the Head, of Corporate Services at Honeywell Group, emphasised the urgency of addressing the digital literacy gap in Nigeria. “Closing Nigeria’s digital literacy gap is an urgent mission that SWL has always been passionate about. The DLASP Centre enables us to support this mission by empowering children and youth in underserved communities with essential digital skills,” she noted.
Closing Nigeria’s digital literacy gap is an urgent mission that SWL has always been passionate about. The DLASP Centre enables us to support this mission by empowering children and youth in underserved communities with essential digital
skills The DLASP curriculum, implemented by Digital Fortress, covers a range of topics, from basic IT and Microsoft Office tools to programming, coding, gaming, and robotics. The programme adopts a tiered approach, with children progressing through stages based on their IT proficiency levels. This approach ensures that each child receives tailored education, enhancing their digital literacy progressively.
SWL Foundation’s DLASP has already impacted over 300 children since its inception, contributing to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of quality education. Launching the new purpose-built centre in Lagos signifies a significant step towards expanding the programme’s reach and making a more substantial dent in the youth unemployment crisis.
