Union Bank, LEAP Africa partner to train youths

All is set for the unfolding of emerging young social innovators, who have been equipped to craft initiatives that would improve the quality of lives in rural communities and urban cities in the country.

The unveiling will take place at an awards tagged Social Innovators Programme and Awards (SIPA), which holds today in Abuja with the theme: “Rage for Change: Creating Impact.”

Former recipients of LEAP Awards include Gbenga Sesan; Toyosi Akerele; Tolu Sangosanya; Oladipupo Ajiroba; Idris Abdullahi; Bosun Abayomi and Okelola Olumayokun.

The Social Innovators Programme, is a one-year fellowship, which supports talented young social innovators, whose ideas and initiatives offer effective and creative solutions to challenges in local communities across Nigeria. Through training and strategic support systems, the fellows are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to sustain and scale up their impact.

The training of the innovators is at the behest of Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, a non-profit organisation, and done in concert with Union Bank, which funds the programme and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, which supports the initiative. It is also done in collaboration with the International Youth Foundation.

Speaking in Lagos ahead of the awards, Executive Director, LEAP Africa, Iyadunni Olubode, “Social innovation is a way to improve the world by addressing social problems creatively. Nigerian youths live through these challenges, they understand them and are therefore uniquely positioned to develop solutions that are effective, easily replicable and sustainable.’

Funded by Union Bank and supported by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the awards celebrates young social innovators, who have crafted solutions that improve the quality of life in rural communities and urban cities in Nigeria. Through interventions in health, agriculture, environment, Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and other sectors, these change markers are creating value and contributing to Nigeria’s development.”

She explained that LEAP Africa was using the SIPA platform to showcase and recognise the innovators and also recognize their most outstanding fellows for astounding work in 2015.