The funds will be managed by Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability and Professionalism (Leap) Africa, a non profit organisation focused on youth development. The NYFF aims to build on momentum in the region inspired by the youth-led #EndSARS movement.
70% of Nigeria's population comprises youth that are under the age of 30 and this figure is projected to continue growing in the next decades. Given the significant number of youths, researchers have suggested that the future progress of Nigeria is based on the level to which the youth are skilled and trained in various aspects.
"We’re excited about this launch because over the last decade, several analyses have shown that there is likely to be a great return on investment in youth across the economic, social, political and technological domains of Nigeria's development,” said Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, program officer in the office of West Africa, Ford Foundation.
Mac-Ikemenjima added that he believes that the fund is a critical part of efforts to empower Nigerian youth and enhance their leadership capabilities..
NYFF is aimed at developing young people's leadership and civic engagement in Nigeria.
It is a five-year collaborative fund seeded by the Ford Foundation with $3 million and the MacArthur Foundation with $2 million. NYFF has a goal of raising an additional $15 million from other partners and Foundations.
Building on the momentum gained from the youth-led #EndSARS protest in 2020 against police brutality and over a decade old movement, NYFF will:
NYFF will launch an online competition for youths to design a logo for the new Nigeria Youth Futures Fund as a way of engaging the youths.