The Managing Partner of Parasol BPO, Bankole Ojo-Medubi, has highlighted the transformative impact of skills-driven training in positioning Nigerian youth—particularly women—for opportunities in the global digital economy.

Speaking during an interview on Generation Ghana, Ojo-Medubi explained that Parasol BPO’s core mission is to connect global businesses with skilled Nigerian talent.
According to him, the company has already delivered over 300,000 work hours to clients across the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and other parts of Africa, while gathering critical data to improve the employability and global competitiveness of Nigerian youth.
He noted that today’s Nigerian job seeker is no longer competing locally, but on a global scale with peers in countries such as India, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Kenya.

As a result, he stressed the need for globally relevant skills that align with what employers actually demand.
This reality, he said, informed Parasol BPO’s partnership with Generation Ghana, supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation, to deliver a fully funded 14-week online Digital Marketing programme targeted at women in Abuja seeking to start careers in the digital space.
The programme, now in its second cohort, builds on the success of a pilot phase held last year, which trained 15 women.

Ojo-Medubi revealed that about 70 per cent of participants secured employment within 90 days of completing the programme, while 96 per cent completed the training, with nearly all now gainfully employed.
Encouraged by these outcomes, the organisers expanded the second cohort to 20 participants, with plans to scale further across Nigeria.
Similar programmes are already running in Ghana, where between 80 and 100 participants are currently enrolled.

Ojo-Medubi explained that the focus on women was deliberate, citing their continued underrepresentation in the workforce.
Rather than simply advocating for inclusion, he said the programme equips women with high-demand skills, particularly digital marketing, to make them highly sought after by employers globally.
“Digital marketing is one of the most in-demand skills in the world right now,” he said, adding that equipping women with such skills ensures the market actively seeks them out.

He further noted that Parasol BPO has witnessed first-hand how access to global work can transform lives, with some participants moving from earning modest local wages to significantly higher incomes, creating ripple effects for families and communities.
Looking ahead, Ojo-Medubi disclosed plans to expand the programme beyond Abuja to other states, including Kaduna, Kano, and Makurdi, leveraging Parasol BPO’s existing offices to widen access. He also emphasised the importance of partnerships, transparency, and storytelling in sustaining such initiatives.

According to him, funders are more encouraged to invest when they can clearly see impact, while government involvement strengthens efforts to address youth unemployment.
“With the right partnerships, everybody wins—the trainees, the funders, the government, and the economy,” he said.
Ojo-Medubi called for greater visibility and support for skills-based programmes that bridge the gap between education and the evolving demands of the global workplace, describing them as critical to building a more employable and competitive Nigerian workforce.