Jobberman, Mastercard Foundation commit to talents-employers linkage to tackle youth unemployment

Career development and recruitment solution company, Jobberman Nigeria, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, has pledged to support young professionals between the ages of 18 and 34 in job search and career development, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce unemployment and underemployment in Africa.

According to the organisations, through its Associates Programme, which runs specifically in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia, it places trained young professionals in vetted organisations to gain valuable experience for twelve months.

Phase 2 of the initiative will focus on graduates with the onboarding of employers who will host these professionals, called Associates.

Speaking at the Jobberman Employer Onboarding event held in Lagos, Olamide Adeyeye, country head of programmes at Jobberman Nigeria, said the partnership builds on years of collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation aimed at improving youth employability across Africa.

According to him, the partnership with Mastercard Foundation since 2020 is one of the projects focused on skilling millions of young people to transition into the digital economy, adding that knowledge and skills alone are not enough; experience makes a huge difference.

Adeyeye said that the current phase of the programme bridges the gap between training and employment through paid internships that provide real work experience.

“This programme connects skilling with earning by giving young talent the opportunity to enter the workforce through paid internships,” he said.

He further said that in the first phase, 375 young people participated, with over 68 percent transitioning into meaningful employment after completing their internships.

He added that the new phase, launched in October last year, aims to scale impact across West Africa.

“We are expanding into 5 West African countries: Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. The objective is to support 3,650 young people, with 70 percent being women, 5 percent persons with disabilities, and 5 percent internally displaced persons, to gain valuable experience through internships and transition into dignified, fulfilling work,” Adeyeye said.

He noted that the initiative also supports small and medium-sized enterprises by providing access to trained talent without significantly increasing staffing costs.

“While young talent builds valuable experience, we are also helping entrepreneurs who want to expand but are limited by staffing costs. This programme provides them with the right talent,” he explained.

Adeyeye emphasised that prioritising women in the programme is critical to unlocking Nigeria’s full economic potential.

“Women have historically been marginalised from opportunities like this. If only one segment of society contributes meaningfully to the economy, we all lose. When everyone participates in the workforce, we reach our objectives faster,” he concluded.

Toluwani Aina, programme coordinator, Mastercard Foundation Associates Programme, said that the initiative was designed to address the employment challenges faced by young people transitioning from school to the workplace.

“The programme is designed to support young people between the ages of 18 and 34. Its primary aim is to reduce unemployment, the shock and gap young people face when they leave school and enter the workforce. The second aim is to tackle underemployment,” Aina said.

She added that the programme also promotes inclusivity by targeting women, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced persons, while helping young people develop clearer career paths.

“We are very intentional about inclusivity. We focus on women, persons with disabilities, and internally displaced people. The programme is meant to help young people create a career focus,” she said.

Aina urged organisations to participate by hosting associates, stressing that the initiative would strengthen Nigeria’s labour market and support business growth.

“For the good of Nigeria and Africa as a whole, it is the responsibility of all of us who understand the impact of this programme to be part of it. It helps build talent pipelines. Once interns come in through this programme, it reduces recruitment stress,” she explained.

She further highlighted that participating employers would receive structured support, including trained talent, HR advisory services, and continuous engagement throughout the programme cycle.

“We support our employers throughout. For one year, and even beyond, we provide assistance in developing policies, structures, and systems that strengthen organisations,” Aina said.

The event marked the first stage of this phase of the Associates programme, and it solidifies the commitment of Jobberman Nigeria and the Mastercard Foundation to the development of the workforce of young Africans.