AfDB partners Rockefeller Foundation to provide 25 million jobs

Rockefeller Foundation is thrilled to join forces with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to help every young Africans including Nigerians reach their full potentials by creating about 25 million jobs in agriculture, information communications and technology, and other key industries across Africa.

Microsoft and Facebook who are members of the foundation, recently launched a coding employment programme tagged; Coding for Employment Programme at the African Innovation Summit in Kigali, Rwanda. In a statement, the AfDB said the programme aims at preparing Africa’s youth for tomorrow’s jobs and unleashing the next generation of young digital innovators from the continent adding that coding for Employment will create over 9 million jobs and reach 32 million youth and women across Africa by training youths in demand-driven Information and Communications Technology (ICT) curriculum and matching graduates directly with ICT employers.

“The Coding for Employment Programme is at the center of the African Development Bank’s Jobs for Youth in Africa Initiative, which aims to put Africa’s youth on a path to prosperity. By 2025, the Jobs for Youth in Africa Initiative will equip 50 million youth with employable skills and create 25 million jobs in agriculture, information communications and technology and other key industries across Africa”.

Rockefeller Foundation’s Managing Director for Africa, Mamadou Biteye, affirms that, “Our partnership with the African Development Bank will establish 130 Centers of Excellence across Africa to help bridge the gap between the digital hiring news of employers and the skills of Africa’s youth.”

According to the Director, Microsoft Philanthropies for the Middle East and Africa,Ghada Khalifa, “Digital skills are fast becoming essential for the jobs of today and tomorrow. Unfortunately, these skills are beyond the reach of too many young people in Africa. Together with our partners like the African Development Bank, we are working to change that. The partnership between Microsoft and the African Development Bank will continue to focus on increasing the participation of underserved youth and women while equipping youth across Africa with the skills needed to fill jobs now and in the future,” she said.

“We are excited to partner with the African Development Bank on the launch of the Coding for Employment programme in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal. Coding for Employment ensures digital skills are accessible to young people and supports youth with securing meaningful opportunities where they can apply their talents, ideas and expertise to advance the continent’s economic and social development,” said the Head of Policy Programmes at Facebook. Africa,Sherry Dzinoreva.”