Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN)

JAN RECEIVES CITI’S $150,000 GRANT TO EMPOWER YOUTH IN THE NORTH-EAST Junior Achievement Nigeria has received a grant of $150,000 from Citi Foundation to empower 250 youth aged 18 to 35. The grant will be used for the implementation of Junior Achievement’s Immersion Training Strategy: Targeting Young Marginalized Entrepreneurs (JA ITS TYME) program for a period of 2 years. At the end, the top fifty will be given funds to support their businesses, including an opportunity to be apprentice of successful business leaders for a set period of time. Speaking at the Citi Town Hall on Thursday, 21 st September 2017, Mrs. Simi Nwogugu, Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria, touched on the history of Citi and JAN's partnership to date as she thanked the leadership and staff of Citi for their continued support of Junior Achievement Nigeria. L-R: Mrs. Lola Oyeka, Country Public Affairs Officer, Nigeria and Ghana, Citibank, Mr. Peter McCarthy, Chief Administrative

HOW CAN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SOLVE THE YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT CRISIS IN NIGERIA? - By Mariam Azeez L-R:Mrs. Simi Nwogugu, Executive Director, JAN, Miss Mariam Azeez, Winner, 2017 JAN IYD Essay Competition, Ms. Olayinka Yomi-Tokosi,  Head, Youth Banking, Plc., Bizzle Osikoya, Entertainment Entrepreneur. 31st March 2016. The journey of four years ends today. I have finally achieved the goal of bagging a degree in Economics. I know I’m supposed to be happy. But where will I find a paying and befitting job to take care of Mama and my siblings? Those are the thoughts that run through the mind of an average Nigerian graduate upon completion of their programmes. Out of the thousands of graduates churned out annually by tertiary institutions, only a handful of them get employed, not forgetting the fact that there exists a battalion of unemployed youths. According to the National Bureau of Statistics Q4 2016 reports, youth unemployment stands at 47.4%. The youths are the bane of any na

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT NIGERIA  PARTNERS ACCESS BANK TO COMMEMORATE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY 2017. To commemorate the International Youth Day, which was on August 12 th , 2017, Junior Achievement Nigeria in partnership with Access Bank engaged over 2000 youth across Nigeria through Junior Achievement Nigeria’s Youth Entrepreneurship Essay Competition. The Youth Entrepreneurship Essay Competition was open to young adults between the ages of 16 and 27. Apart from the prizes available to be won, the 500-word essay discussing “How Can Entrepreneurship solve the Youth Unemployment Crisis in Nigeria?” was designed to feel the pulse of the youth, their intellectual contribution towards solving the unemployment crisis in Nigeria and national development as a whole. The winners received cash prizes ranging from 100,000 Naira to 50,000 Naira, a chance to publish their articles in a Nigerian daily newspaper and the opportunity to represent Junior Achievement Nigeria at a youth entrepreneu

JAN EMPOWERS 600 STUDENTS FROM LAGOS STATE READY SET WORK PROGRAM Earlier in the year, we announced the ongoing collaboration of Junior Achievement Nigeria with the Lagos State Ministry of Education as one of the implementation partners for the 2017 edition of Ready Set Work. The one year program which began in August is designed to impact about 12,000 students from tertiary institutions in Lagos State. They will be equipped with skills that will help them succeed in the work place and as entrepreneurs. JAN staff, Mrs. Rita Odion, Programs Manager, JAN and Mr. Adegbola Abiodun, Senior Programs Manager, have been serving as volunteer facilitators of RSW at the Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH) and Lagos State University (LASU) centres. They have taught over 600 students.  

JAN ED TEACHES AT OGUN STATE SUMMER CAMP For the second consecutive year, the Executive Director of JAN, Mrs. Simi Nwogugu, facilitated a session on goal setting during the Ogun State summer camp program with the support of the Honorable Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Modupe Mujota. Over two hundred eager students were in attendance during the camp. The students who excelled during the third term 2016/2017 unified examination in the state public secondary schools across the state were selected to participate in the free program.                              Published by: Petra Erhiyoma, JAN

JAN PARTNERS WITH ACT FOUNDATION TO EXPAND INTO OYO AND OSUN STATES   Junior Achievement Nigeria and twenty two other nonprofit organisations benefited from Aspire Coronation Trust (ACT) Foundation’s 2017 grant scheme. The grant for Junior Achievement Nigeria will be used to fund the implementation of JA Company Program and JA Be Entrepreneurial in Osun State and Oyo State. Speaking on the grant scheme, Ms. Osayi Alile, CEO, ACT Foundation said “Our desire to change the world cannot be done by us alone and so we are excited to announce that we have selected 23 deserving nonprofit organizations to partner with in order to achieve our aim of creating positive social impact in our world.” The JAN team represented by Ms. Ade Sofola, Director of Programs and Mr. Adegbola Abiodun, Senior Programs Manager had successful visits to the ministries of education and other concerned authorities in both states. JAN programs in both locations are set to kick off in September. If you a

PARTICIPATE IN JAN'S YOUTH ESSAY COMPETITION TO WIN 100,000 NAIRA AND MORE! To commemorate International Youth Day, Junior Achievement Nigeria is organizing a “Youth Entrepreneurship Essay Competition” in partnership with Access Bank. The Youth Entrepreneurship Essay Competition is open to young adults between the ages of 16 and 27. All interested parties are invited to submit a 500-word essay discussing “How Can Entrepreneurship solve the Youth Unemployment Crisis in Nigeria?” How to apply: Step 1:  Visit our website,  www.ja-nigeria.org Step 2:   Click on the International youth day icon “ click here to apply” Step 3:  Review the instructions, complete application and include your 500- word essay Step 4:  Click submit Step 5:  Make sure you receive a completion message in your email box; this will let you know if your submission was successful. Please note that essay submissions will close on Thursday, August 24th, 2017 at 5:00 pm. The winners wil

“JAN Made Me Who I Am Today". JAN Alumni Adebayo Fashanu Tells JA Africa. Adedayo Fashanu participated in the JA company program whilst in Cayley College in Lagos State, Nigeria in the year 2005-2006. Junior Achievement came to her school and her year group was the first set to experience the JA Company Program. Together with her peers, they created an Enterprise and their business was fashioned around jewellery making using African beads. She was selected by her peers to be the president of their JA Enterprise. They created a business plan under the supervision of an assigned JA official mentor and sold shares to the parents at PTA meetings and after school. The enterprise was a huge success and one of the most remarkable experiences of her school years. Till today that memory still resides deeply with her and her peers and they often share fond memories of how JA brought them closer together. She also participated in the LEAD CAMP after taking a CAMBRIDGE exam JA

SASOL PARTNERS JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT NIGERIA TO EMPOWER 300 OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH IN LAGOS. Junior Achievement Nigeria is partnering with Sasol to empower 300 out-of-school youth in Lagos through Junior Achievement’s Immersion Training Strategy: Targeting Young Marginalized Entrepreneurs (JA ITS TYME) program. The JA ITS TYME curriculum delivered by staff and volunteers of Junior Achievement Nigeria is designed to provide basic business education to out-of-school youth through a variety of hands-on activities and supplements supporting a diverse range of learners. During the program, which will span through the period of one year, participants will have the liberty to select any skill from a wide range of options provided by the Lagos State Skill Acquisition Centre, Mushin, Lagos State. Ms. Ade Sofola, Director of Programs, JAN speaking on the program said “Junior Achievement Nigeria is excited to partner with Sasol to develop young people in Lagos. Nigeria faces the challenge

JAN Wins FILEX Corporate Achievement Award JAN received the “Corporate Achievement Award to a non-financial institution” at the annual Financial Literacy Excellence (FILEX) Awards. The Award which is aimed at celebrating and recognizing leadership and innovations that promote financial literacy in Nigeria was presented to JAN for its impact in financial literacy nationwide. Speaking at the awards ceremony, Dr. Bola Fajemirokun of DIN Resource Centre said “The Awards celebrate the important work by individuals and organizations aimed at improving knowledge and awareness of financial matters among consumers. Financial Literacy can only be achieved through targeted financial education initiatives and these must be grounded in a thorough understanding of the financial behaviours and attitudes of Nigerian consumers”. On receiving the award, the Associate Director of Programs, JAN, Ms. Adaeze Oputa expressed JAN's appreciation stating that Financial Literacy, Work Readiness and

JAN WINS JA BEST ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT AWARD At the Global Leadership Conference awards dinner, Junior Achievement Nigeria won the JA Worldwide award for best alumni engagement strategy. Junior Achievement Nigeria was the only African JA member nation nominated in this category. The JA Alumni Engagement Award recognizes the member countries, U.S. Areas and Regional Operating Centers that have developed the most robust alumni strategies including tracking, communication and engagement projects for JA alumni.  THE 2017 GLOBAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE. JA leadership teams from around the world converged in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate, network with colleagues, and learn from each other and industry experts during the 2017 Global Leadership Conference. Those in attendance participated in breakout discussions and received practical information to enhance local operational effectiveness and professional development from globally recognized speakers. During the Global Lea

GETTING YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS. At the LEAD Camp, part of the skills the girls are trained on is being able to get their message across through effective communication and how to effectively use the mass media. They have the privilege of being mentored by leading media practitioners in traditional and digital media space, who help the girls through the process of creating a media message on topical issues in the society. Media Mentor: Adenike Oyetunde Media: Nigeria Info Topic: Problem a Girl Child Faces in Nigeria The girls spoke on different problems facing the girl child in Nigeria. The subtopics were; Age Of Consent, Educating The Girl Child, Sexual Assault, Sex Trafficking, Lack Of Sanitary Pads. Media Mentor: Munachi Okey-Nwosu Media: Bellanaija Topic: I Am The video was made to correct the negative perception about females while laying emphasis on the fact that so much potential lie in females and they can’t be stopped. They had the following terms; I am powe

Entrepreneurship is not an accident! – Deborah Adeboyejo. As much as Entrepreneurship is a national emergency in many developing nations of the world like Nigeria. Structured, Opportunity entrepreneurship should be the ideal choice. . Entrepreneurship should be seen as a deliberate holistic decision to create value for society rather than a 'QUICK FIX' to 'FAST MONEY' or just for 'SURVIVAL'.  Opportunity over Necessity. . Yes, we need Entrepreneurs but we also need to let them know it is not first for the pleasure but a national service (sometimes delayed gratification)... This type of MINDSET PRODUCES EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP. . Yes, avalanche of businesses are needed daily, some will fail and some will succeed. Hence entrepreneurship should be encouraged, celebrated, empowered, and structured to facilitate the emergence of more. . Yes, there is a need to tie the ends of large informal sectors (value created is so powerf

2017 JAN LEAD Camp KNOW WHO YOU ARE! The day’s activities began with the first leadership workshop facilitated by JA Nigeria’s Executive Director Mrs. Simi Nwogugu who took the girls through a very informative session on emotional intelligence. Mrs. Nwogugu introduced the girls to a range of concepts including self-awareness and self-management. In a practical exercise, the participants had the chance to role-play as emotional intelligence coaches and clients so that they could identify what they value and the essence of who they are. The girls were encouraged to understand the environment they thrive in; their natural strengths; and how to put themselves in a place where they can shine. Becoming comfortable with who you are.  This session was a perfect lead into the first speaker session of the week featuring leading women in entertainment. Turning Passion to Profit. This was the first panel of the week which consisted of leading wo