ALX Africa has taken a leading role in championing youth skills and employability across Nigeria by driving the conversation on translating programme funding into real-world career opportunities.

To tackle the growing pressure on funders to prove that investments yield lasting employment, ALX Africa recently convened top foundations, NGOs, and development partners for a high-level roundtable themed
“From Funding to Outcomes”, aimed at turning financial commitments into measurable results for young people.

Speaking at the session, in Lagos, Regional Manager for West and Central Africa at ALX, Ruby Igwe, said the sector’s challenge lies less in funding than in how programmes are delivered.

She said: “There is real money going into youth skills and employability in this country, but too many programmes do not deliver the jobs and the change they promised. They rarely fail at the funding stage. They lose their way in the middle, in how they are delivered. That is the gap we want to close.”

Bringing to bear its expertise as a technical, delivery and implementation partner for organisations seeking to run youth programmes at scale, Igwe points to ALX’s track record in Nigeria saying more than 150,000 young people have gone through its programmes and moved on to jobs, careers and improved livelihoods.

At the roundtable, participants shared what is working in youth development, where programmes are falling short, and what they need from delivery partners to achieve measurable impact.
The conversation also explored how funders and partners can work together to reach more young Nigerians with programmes that lead to jobs and livelihoods.

Notable attendees at the roundtable included acting Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, Olaolu Akogun; Secretary , Rotary Club, Olorunfemi Micheal; Founder of FABE International Foundation, TemitopeOkunnu; and Growth and Partnership Manager at TechQuest STEM Academy, Anita Agbakoba, among others.

The platform’s support for learners continues after training ends, as graduates have access to mentorship opportunities. The learning platform also runs regular grant readiness sessions to help them position themselves for funding opportunities.

ALX is part of the African Leadership Group, which has spent 22 years expanding access to opportunity for young Africans. Across the continent, ALX has trained more than 374,000 young people, of whom 258,000 have secured employment and 60,000 have built livelihoods through entrepreneurship using the skills they acquired.