Serving With Love (SWL) Foundation has launched its Digital Life After School Programme (DLASP) centre in Lagos, Nigeria. This initiative, founded in May 2018, aims to address the pressing issue of youth unemployment by providing technology-oriented education to children from low-income families.

The launch comes at a critical time, with reports indicating that 85 per cent of Nigerian graduates lack the digital skill sets required for the contemporary job market.

Founder/trustee of SWL and co-founder of the Africa Communications Week (ACW), Eniola de Hollain, highlighted the foundation’s commitment to empowering the youth through education. “The DLASP programme is not only about teaching children how to use computers and technology, it’s a mandate to arm them with the skills that will equip and increase their competitive chances now and in the future work environment,” she affirmed.

Another founder/trustee of SWL and the Head, of Corporate Services at Honeywell Group, Tomi Otudeko, emphasised the urgency of addressing the digital literacy gap in Nigeria.

“Closing Nigeria’s digital literacy gap is an urgent mission that SWL has always been passionate about. The DLASP Centre enables us to support this mission by empowering children and youth in underserved communities with essential digital skills,” she noted.

The DLASP curriculum, implemented by Digital Fortress, covers a range of topics, from basic IT and Microsoft Office tools to programming, coding, gaming, and robotics. The programme adopts a tiered approach, with children progressing through stages based on their IT proficiency levels. This approach ensures that each child receives tailored education, enhancing their digital literacy progressively.

SWL Foundation’s DLASP has already impacted over 300 children since its inception, contributing to fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of quality education. Launching the new purpose-built centre in Lagos signifies a significant step towards expanding the programme’s reach and making a more substantial dent in the youth unemployment crisis.