YES Country Network Nigeria is a leading advocate of effective responses to youth unemployment in Nigeria. With over 200 youth organizations and individual members, the YES Network in Nigeria functions as an information sharing network and a platform for capacity building and advocacy at all levels. YES promotes an entrepreneurial culture.

Capacity Building in YES Nigeria

YES Nigeria has 2 major capacity building projectsBuilding a network of youth who can share and impart skills

to others is a priority of the YES Network in Nigeria.

1. The YES Trainers Network The first entrepreneurship trainers workshop was

supported by the KIND – KUDRA programme (Cordaid and EU funded) and conducted by OICI (Opportunities Industrialization Centres International)

In April 2006 the first batch of 20 trainers were produced. Seven were from a partnering institution, Cross River University of Technology.

Step Down Trainings

With our trainers YES Nigeria has been able to partner with other organizations to supply entrepreneurship training within their programmes

•KIND KUDRA Leadership programme – 750 young women in 3 campuses so far. A total of 1,250 will be reached by the end of the year.

•CRUTECH tourism related youth empowerment scheme in 20 villages in the environs of the Obudu Ranch tourism development site in Cross River State

Step down continued •All final year students in 4 campuses of partnering institution CRUTECH

•Individual step down trainings from all participants at state level and at varying capacities.

Possibilities and targets

YES Nigeria is targeting a total of 30 trainers per State by the end of 2007. These trainers will be available for collaboration with any Government, NGO, or private organization initiatives.

2. Members share and receive information on capacity building opportunities and news highlighting current initiatives in employment generation or employment related matters.

A networking hub for members and other organizationshas been the biggest tool for getting members to share

expertise and interact physically in each others programmes and functions.

E – Group

The greatest strength of a network is the pooled capacity and energy of its members. It is self sustaining especially where the enabling environment is provided to share information and expertise.

Possibilities and targets

YES Nigeria plans to create a directory of all members with reference to area of expertise with the view of having a capacity exchange hub. This will be a formalization of what already exists within the network both formally and informally.

Possibilities and targets

YES Nigeria has created a draft toolkit for decentralized policy review sessions any where in Nigeria.

Why Policy Review and Advocacy?

It engages youth in Governance in an enabling way

•Enables them to contribute to national development•Thorough grasp of the existing employment policies is the strongest starting point for advocacy•Enables youth analyze policies and political agendas from their own perspective•Enables collective action for change.

The third ongoing capacity building exercise is the YES – Nigeria review of the National Employment Policy