DEL-YORK Creative Academy, an arm of Dell Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) to empower 10,000 students in digital creativity, animation and post-production initiative.

The partnership is aimed at bridging the gap between technical education and global creative industry demands, and to expand opportunities for Nigerian youths in digital creativity, animation and post-production, championed under its Youths in Animation and Post-Production Initiative (YAPPI).

Speaking at the signing of the MoU, the Chief Operating Officer of Del-York Group and YAPPI Programme Lead, Ikenna Ogweike, said YAPPI is designed as a pipeline to create a generation of African talents that can compete in global markets.

He noted that Africa has long been a consumer of global creative content, but seldom a major player in its production.

According to him, With Nigeria currently contributing less than two per cent to the global animation market, the programme sees itself as a catalyst to shift those statistics, transforming the nation into a digital outsourcing hub comparable to India’s success in information technology, and business process outsourcing; launched with the bold target of training 60,000 young people within five years.

The programme, he said, has created pathways for mentorship and employment, intentionally linking graduates to job placements, freelance opportunities, and international collaborations.

The broader vision, Ogweike explained, is to embed programmes like YAPPI in tertiary institutions, ensuring that future generations grow up with the skills, confidence, and global mindset to compete anywhere in the world.

The Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, stated that the collaboration represents a major step in the school’s mission to prepare its students not just for local relevance, but for participation in a highly competitive global economy.

“Our vision has always been to combine technical expertise with creative innovation. This partnership is about equipping young people with skills that guarantee employability and also position them as creators and entrepreneurs in the digital space and YABATECH history, as Nigeria’s first higher institution, places it in a unique position to lead in this sector.”

The collaboration, Abdul noted, came at a time when the institution is actively pursuing international linkages to boost research, technical training and innovation, and to leverage its strong manpower base, vibrant student population and institutional credibility to maximise the impact of the programme.

The Director, Centre for Linkages, Partnership and International Relations (CLPIR), YBATECH, Dr. Mosud Ajala, who facilitated the partnership, said the initiative will empower 10,000 students of the college, especially girls, with no-cost creative-tech training.

He said the programme focuses on digital art, animation, post-production, and content creation, equipping students with global-standard creative and entrepreneurial skills’ adding that the MoU reflects the institution’s commitment to empowering her students with future-ready creative-tech skills.

“By training 10,000 of them, especially ladies, with globally relevant creative -tech skills, we are not only preparing them for the future of work but also positioning the college as a leader in innovative industry – academia collaboration,” he said.