In a bid to tackle youth unemployment by providing affordable training and guaranteed job opportunities, the Parallax Media Academy (PMA) has graduated its first cohort of digital media professionals.

The event highlighted a strategic collaboration designed to bridge the gap between young people’s digital energy and professional profitability.

Founder and CEO, PMA, Peace Osayuwamen Saleh, stated that young Nigerians possess digital awareness but lack the necessary discipline and focus to translate these skills into income.

“What we have noticed with a lot of young people is that they want skills but they do not have the needed discipline for the skill to be able to grow into profitability. We are trying to downchannel that energy and put it into something that will be a lot more meaningful and profitable for them,” she said.

Through its partnership with Union Bank, the academy was able to minimise the financial barrier to entry, a major win for reaching unemployed youth.

Team Lead for Innovation Management, Union Bank, Chiamaka Moses, affirmed the shared vision, noting that the academy’s approach, combining hands-on training, cutting-edge tools, and real industry experience, was precisely what the creative economy needs.

“By bringing Parallax into the SpaceNXT ecosystem, we are creating a hub where creators can learn, collaborate, experiment, and produce as world-class standards,” Moses stated.

PMA’s programmes operate on a learn to earn mandate, with a direct focus on job creation. The founder confirmed that out of the eight graduates in the first cohort, five had secured immediate job opportunities.

“We are intentionally looking out for employment opportunities so that as you’re graduating, you’re earning money immediately,” she said.
The curriculum is 85 per cent practical, with class sizes capped at 30 to ensure personalized attention. The academy plans to increase its impact in 2026 by moving to a month-on-month graduation model.

Facilitator, Joshua Fatoye, guest speaker and facilitator at the academy stressed that equipping young people with capital without first preparing their mindset is ineffective.

“Most of the time we do not focus on the part of mind transformation or preparing these people for the businesses that they intend to go on with,” Fatoye said. He argued that the academy’s six-week programme equipped students with the right knowledge and resources needed to thrive in the marketplace.

On her part, Founder, Kudimata Nigeria Ltd, Kathleen Erhimu, encouraged graduates to embrace a global outlook. “Money grows on an intelligent mind and with these skills that they’ve acquired today, the world is open. Like they’ve learned, they have started locally, but globally is their space.”

Graduate Pamella Onyekwelu attested to her personal growth. “When I came here, I was asked to introduce myself and at first I was stammering, but standing here, I can confidently introduce myself without mincing words. PMA has groomed me, has shaped me to become better,” she said.