As part of its commitment to building a generation of digital entrepreneurs contributing positively to wealth creation, Junior Achievement Nigeria (JA Nigeria) has partnered with one of its Board members, Sigma Pensions to equip 100 selected youths with digital skills in an intensive Digital Bootcamp. 

The five days intensive digital boot camp held in Abuja from the 6th – 10th September, had selected young people from Abuja and its environs furnished with 21st-century in-demand digital skills; the participants gained experiential knowledge in web design, digital marketing, animation, and graphic design.

In her remarks at the closing ceremony of the digital boot camp, the Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Foluso Gbadamosi, reaffirmed JA Nigeria’s commitment to preparing young people for a brighter economic future, stressing the importance of equipping them with digital skills.

“We are committed to preparing young people for the future ahead through the implementation of various transformational programs aimed at reskilling them. This is because the pandemic has accelerated the disruption of jobs caused by the technological changes of the fourth industrial revolution. And one of the initiatives aimed at reskilling young people in this digital boot camp. We have a big picture and it is a process, from equipping young people with digital skills to making meaning out of what they have learned and contributing significantly to shared economic growth. It is more than just the week they have spent together learning but the aftermath of what took place within the few days of the boot camp,” Foluso stated.

“I would also like to appreciate Sigma Pensions for partnering with us to equip young people with digital skills,” Foluso added.

In his address, the Executive Director, Operations, Sigma Pensions, Mr. Afolabi Folayan, said

“Leveraging on technology, our business had little or no negative impact during the pandemic as we were able to seamlessly service our customers without any interruptions. We have experienced the power of digital technology and its exponential impact on growth further emphasizes the importance of digital skills amongst young people. This is why we embarked on this Corporate Social Responsibility Project to equip young people with digital skills which will add value to them, improve their employability, create businesses, and in extension grow the Nigerian economy”.

One of the participants, Amarachi Nwakanma, said:

“The digital boot camp was a life-changing experience as I have acquired new skills in digital marketing, graphic design, and animation. My interest has always been in creating graphical works and illustrations and I am so excited to have the opportunity to participate in this boot camp. I will definitely hone my newly acquired skills and strive to be the best at them. I would also like to use this opportunity to thank Sigma Pensions and Junior Achievement Nigeria”.

Participants displayed their dexterity in an exhibition based on skills learned and engaged in a competition. Group 10 (Tech Genie) emerged as the winner and was awarded a cash prize of Two Hundred Thousand Naira.

About Junior Achievement Nigeria

Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) is part of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAWW), the world’s largest and fastest-growing non-profit economic education organization with a 120-country network. Since its inception in 1999, JAN has reached over one million students in over 20,000 classrooms in all the 36 states across the country and the FCT through over 5000 volunteers. As part of a global network, JAN can leverage resources and expertise to deliver localized cutting-edge experiential programs built on JAWW’s three pillars of work Readiness, Entrepreneurship, and Financial literacy, to in- and out-of-school youths, ages 5 to 27, free of charge.

For more information, visit www.ja-nigeria.org

About Sigma Pensions Limited

Sigma Pensions Limited is a licensed Pension Fund Administrator with Assets Under Management (AUM) of about N500bn catering to over 750,000 contributors across the country. Sigma Pensions is owned by Actis, one of the leading Private Equity funds, with over US$7.6bn Funds Under Management invested in growth markets across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Since 2019, Sigma Pensions partnered with Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN) and delivered 3 CSR projects targeted towards Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship. The projects have successfully reached over 3000 students directly and have supported Junior Achievement Nigeria to reach over 1,000,000 young Nigerians.

For more information, visit: www.sigmapensions.com