Oando Foundation Opens Applications for Green Youth Upskilling Programme

• N20m awarded to first cohort entrepreneurs

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

Oando Foundation has opened applications for the next cohort of its Green Youth Upskilling Programme (GYUP) to empower the next generation of green entrepreneurs.

This follows the successful completion of the inaugural cohort, which trained 25 young Nigerians and awarded N20 million in seed funding to top-performing participants to launch green enterprises, a statement from the company said.

Implemented in partnership with the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre, the programme is a structured nine-month initiative designed to equip young Nigerians with practical, market-relevant skills across key sectors such as renewable energy, waste management, and sustainable mobility.

“Nigeria’s development trajectory will increasingly depend on how effectively we equip young people with skills that align with emerging sectors. The green economy presents a clear opportunity, but unlocking it requires deliberate investment in talent pipelines like this. Our focus is to scale access and ensure more young Nigerians are positioned to participate meaningfully in this transition,” said Tonia Uduimoh, Head, Oando Foundation.

The programme comes at a time of rising global demand for green skills. The transition to a low-carbon economy is projected to create up to 30 million jobs by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), while the World Economic Forum (WEF) identifies green skills among the fastest-growing and most in-demand globally.

Building on the outcomes of the first cohort, the Foundation is expanding the programme to deepen its impact, with additional focus areas including electric vehicle (EV) maintenance and broader opportunities within Nigeria’s growing green economy.

According to Oando, the recently concluded cohort demonstrated the programme’s end-to-end model, with participants progressing from technical training to hands-on apprenticeship, and top performers accessing catalytic funding and equipment support to scale their business ideas.

Applicants for the new cohort will be selected through a structured, multi-stage process designed to identify individuals who demonstrate strong interest, foundational technical aptitude, and the potential to translate skills into enterprise or employment.

Successful applicants will benefit from intensive technical training, mentorship, practical work experience through internships, and the opportunity to access performance-based funding.

Oando Foundation noted that the programme is positioned not just as a training intervention, but as a pipeline for developing a skilled workforce capable of contributing to Nigeria’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy.

Eligible applicants, it said, must be Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35, with at least a secondary school education and a demonstrated interest in green or technical fields such as renewable energy, waste management, or sustainable mobility.

“The programme is designed for individuals with foundational knowledge or a strong interest in building skills and pursuing opportunities within the green economy. Applications are now open to eligible candidates across Nigeria. Interested applicants can apply via: https://gyup.net/”, it added.