Oando Foundation has opened applications for the next cohort of its Green Youth Upskilling Programme (GYUP), aimed at empowering the next generation of green entrepreneurs. This follows the successful completion of the inaugural cohort, which trained 25 young Nigerians and awarded N20 million in seed funding to top-performing participants to launch green enterprises.
Programme Details and Partnership
Implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, the programme is a structured nine-month initiative designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, market-relevant skills across key sectors such as renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable mobility.
“Nigeria’s development trajectory will increasingly depend on how effectively we equip young people with skills that align with emerging sectors. The green economy presents a clear opportunity, but unlocking it requires deliberate investment in talent pipelines like this. Our focus is to scale access and ensure more young Nigerians are positioned to participate meaningfully in this transition,” said Tonia Uduimoh, Head of Oando Foundation.
Growing Demand for Green Skills
The programme comes at a time of rising global demand for green skills. The transition to a low-carbon economy is projected to create up to 30 million jobs by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency, while the World Economic Forum identifies green skills among the fastest-growing and most in-demand globally.
Expansion and Impact
Building on the outcomes of the first cohort, the Foundation is expanding the programme to deepen its impact, with additional focus areas, including Electric Vehicle (EV) maintenance and broader opportunities within Nigeria’s growing green economy. The recently concluded cohort demonstrated the programme’s end-to-end model, with participants progressing from technical training to hands-on apprenticeship, and top performers accessing catalytic funding and equipment support to scale their business ideas.
