The United States has deepened its partnerships in Lagos State, focusing on addressing youth and women unemployment, promoting gender equality, expanding access to energy, and driving economic growth.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy announced that Travis Adkins, President and CEO of the United States African Development Foundation (USADF), visited the Lagos State Government and several organizations from August 18 to 21, 2024, to formalize these partnerships.
During his visit, Adkins engaged in discussions with Akinyemi Ajigbotafe, the Commissioner for Wealth Creation and Employment, as well as the leadership of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). These talks led to the renewal of the USADF-LSETF Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for an additional five years. This renewed MoU signifies a commitment to empowering 10,000 young Nigerians with essential trade skills, ultimately creating jobs and enhancing employment opportunities.
Adkins also made a stop at Reeddi Technologies Limited, a winner of the 2020 USADF/All On off-grid energy challenge. While there, he announced a new grant aimed at supporting the company’s innovative work in climate-tech. He emphasized that the funding will improve the design, local assembly, and distribution of Reeddi’s energy solutions, which are expected to benefit small and medium-sized businesses, as well as households in off-grid, energy-deficient communities across Nigeria.
Additionally, the USADF president attended a grant award ceremony at the Field of Skills and Dreams VTE Academy, a leading vocational and entrepreneurship training institute founded by U.S. government exchange alumna Omowale Ogunrinde. The grant will support a 12-week training program for 400 youths aged 18-35 in the hospitality and fashion industries. The overall goal of this initiative is to address youth unemployment by enhancing job skills and improving employment outcomes.
Moreover, Adkins participated in the launch of the “What If Youth and Women Empowerment Initiative” basketball camp, supported by USADF and the National Basketball Players Association. The camp, led by Nigerian NBA player Precious Achiuwa, is designed to create opportunities for youth through sports while also empowering them by building skills, confidence, and resilience both on and off the court.
Throughout his four-day visit, Adkins reiterated USADF’s dedication to supporting African-led solutions that create pathways to prosperity across the continent. He noted that since 2001, the U.S. agency has committed over $44 million in grants and supported more than 480 projects across Nigeria.
“Nigeria is USADF’s largest country program, and I am thrilled to visit for the second time in 10 months,” Adkins stated. “Our wide-ranging partnerships and investments in Nigeria reflect our commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, supporting local businesses and agricultural enterprises, and providing sustainable energy solutions to underserved communities across Africa.”
The statement also highlighted that the USADF Nigeria Programme, over the past two decades, has concentrated on stimulating the growth of agricultural enterprises, delivering off-grid energy solutions to underserved communities, and launching youth and women’s employability and entrepreneurship initiatives that promote economic growth, peace, and stability.
Source: gazettengr.com
