BeMINT_Nigeria program for Nigerian youth culminates in Lagos in a handover ceremony
BeMINT_Nigeria training and internship program provided 230 school graduates and 74 students in high school with practical digital, and soft skills in Lagos. Launched in 2022, the closing ceremony saw enthusiastic students and teachers participate along with the project sponsor German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implementation partners: Siemens Stiftung, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board, Empowering Africans through Education Initiative (EAE), the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Nigeria (AHK Nigeria), and also private companies.
100 students (50 girls and 50 boys) in high school and 200 school graduates (100 girls and 100 boys) received training in information technology (IT) and soft-skills at a training center in Lagos. The students come from low-income families and had the opportunity to be introduced to the topics in small batches for a duration of six weeks. 60 public school teachers also received training in imparting advanced and market-relevant digital skills to their students.
Our implementing partner, Empowering Africans through Education Initiative (EAE), drove the training center through tailored programs and partnerships to introduce hands-on learning. “We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the beneficiaries. We were able to nurture their talents in their different areas of interest and we are proud to see them excel and tackle real-life challenges through innovation and problem-solving skills they acquired during the training”, explains Chinenye Ezeakor, Executive Director, EAE.
Students also participated in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workshops to get insights into start-up fundamentals and honed their problem-solving and critical thinking acumen.
“Knowledge in STEM subjects is crucial to narrow the skills gap required to flourish in the digital and green economy. The project integrated the STEM approach with digital and life skills like teamwork, writing CVs, and preparing for job interviews, thus creating a workforce ready to take on the labor market”, adds Dr. Nina Smidt, Managing Director and Spokesperson of the Board of Directors at Siemens Stiftung, who is visiting Lagos for the first time to meet the beneficiaries.
The students also attended workshops with private sector employees and experienced real-work scenarios through company visits and mentorships. AHK Nigeria organized an exclusive career fair for the BeMINT beneficiaries in Lagos, facilitating a one-on-one interaction between the students and Nigerian companies.
“We seek to support and promote educational systems that focus on hands-on-learning as the ideal platform for training and youth development. With this in mind, we provided the BeMINT program with opportunities for internships at companies, thus enabling the attendees to gain workplace experience in preparation for joining the workforce in the nearest future”, says Katharina Felgenhauer from AHK Nigeria.
Many of the project beneficiaries have already finished their internship programs and are embarking on their professional career paths.