Sara Foundation Prepares 700 Graduates for NJFP, Refers 696 Candidates

Funmi Ogundare 

Sara Foundation Africa has equipped 700 young Nigerian graduates with workplace-ready skills and referred 696 qualified participants into the candidate pool of the Nigerian Jubilee Fellows Programme (NJFP), following an intensive employability readiness initiative delivered in partnership with the Office of the Vice-President.

The Founder, Sara Foundation Africa, Sarah Inem Kalu, said the initiative, delivered through its GJP initiative, a type of its Education Journey pathways (EJP) initiative, attracted more than 1,000 applications within one week, exceeding its initial target of preparing and referring 500 graduates for the federal government’s flagship graduate placement programme.

The programme was implemented in collaboration with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Delivery and Coordination, Akubo Adegbe, to strengthen pathways between education and employment and prepare graduates for opportunities in Nigeria’s evolving labour market.

Kalu stated: “participants have already progressed to interviews, psychometric assessments and final-stage recruitment processes, with several securing placements with host organisations through the NJFP.”

The five-day programme, delivered through 10 live virtual sessions, focused on practical workplace readiness. Participants received training in aptitude and psychometric assessments, CV development, interview preparation, communication and presentation, LinkedIn optimisation, professional branding, artificial intelligence tools for workplace productivity, emotional intelligence, teamwork, goal setting and career planning.

Board members Mercy, Toby and Dolapo served as facilitators, bringing more than four decades of experience to the sessions. Participant feedback highlighted increased confidence, clearer direction and practical tools that graduates said they could apply immediately to interviews, personal branding and opportunities.

The virtual format enabled participation from across Nigeria while maintaining NJFP eligibility requirements, including graduation period, National Identification Number ( NIN) verification and completion of the National Youth Service Corps ( NYSC) programme.

Kalu explained that the initiative showed the impact possible when government and mission-driven organisations collaborate to connect young people with meaningful opportunities.

“Talent is everywhere across Africa, but opportunity is not. At Sara Foundation Africa, we exist to bridge that gap by creating practical pathways that prepare young people for success in today’s digital economy,” she said.

She added that the foundation measures success not simply by the number of people trained, but by opportunities created and lives transformed through employment, further learning and structured progression.

The initiative forms part of Sara Foundation Africa’s wider commitment to digital inclusion and workforce development across Africa. Its programmes are supported by Train AI, an AI workplace intelligence platform that serves as the foundation’s learning and development infrastructure.

The founder said the foundation’s work is anchored on three flagship programmes: CAP, FLIP and EJP, which provide access to digital education, mentorship, employability skills and progression opportunities.

Sara Foundation Africa currently works across 11 African countries in partnership with more than 35 universities and has reached about 6,000 Africans.

Speaking on the partnership, Adegbe noted that employers had a responsibility beyond recruiting skilled workers and should contribute to developing workforce quality.

“Employers are not just consumers of talent, they are co-producers of workforce quality. Nigeria’s workforce transformation cannot be driven by government alone,” he said.

The foundation said it plans to expand partnerships with governments, universities, employers, development agencies, philanthropic organisations and corporate partners to increase access to practical skills and opportunities across Africa.