A major effort to boost youth empowerment and economic inclusion in Nigeria has received fresh momentum following a strategic partnership between Easybuy and WAWUAfrica aimed at providing job-ready skills and income-generating opportunities to 10 million Nigerians.
The collaboration, unveiled at a signing ceremony in Lagos, is designed to equip young people and women with practical skills needed to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving economy.
Participants will receive training in digital and information technology literacy, financial education, entrepreneurship, creative arts, hospitality, tourism, and other high-demand sectors.
As part of the arrangement, Easybuy has been designated the Official Device Financing and Lifestyle Partner for the initiative, which has received approval from the Federal Government.
The programme is being coordinated through the Office of the Vice President under the Presidential Committee on Economic and Financial Inclusion and is being implemented by WAWUAfrica alongside several national and international development partners.
Among the institutions supporting the initiative are the Ministry of Youth, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Ministry of Trade and Investment, the World Bank, the African Union Sixth Region Global, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Several professional bodies are also participating, including the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN), the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), the National Institute of Credit Administration (NICA), the Chartered Risk Management Institute of Nigeria (CRMI), and the Nigeria Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the event, Sales Director of Easybuy Nigeria, Abdul-Gaffar Adesoji, highlighted the growing importance of smartphones in today’s economy, noting that millions of Nigerians remain excluded from digital opportunities because they cannot afford smart devices.
According to him, Easybuy’s role in the programme goes beyond financing mobile devices. The company intends to help close the digital access gap while creating pathways to economic participation for underserved communities.
“Smartphones have become essential for participation in today’s economy, yet millions of Nigerians still face barriers to accessing the devices they need,” Adesoji said.
He further revealed that Easybuy plans to create up to 10,000 sales-related jobs from among the programme’s beneficiaries as part of its contribution to the initiative.
The company believes that providing access to devices alongside employment opportunities will strengthen the country’s drive toward economic and financial inclusion.
Chief Executive Officer of WAWUAfrica, Emmanuel Lennox, described the partnership as a deliberate attempt to move beyond traditional skills acquisition programmes by creating a direct link between training and economic empowerment.
He explained that the initiative is designed to ensure participants not only acquire knowledge but also gain access to the tools and opportunities needed to apply their skills productively.
According to Lennox, integrating Easybuy’s financing model into the training ecosystem removes one of the biggest barriers to digital participation—the inability to access affordable devices.
“What we are building is a complete economic empowerment cycle,” he said.
“Participants can gain access to smartphones through Easybuy, receive free training, and subsequently participate in income-generating activities. This creates a system that not only prepares people for jobs but also enables entrepreneurship and sustainable wealth creation.”
The partnership comes at a time when Nigeria continues to grapple with significant digital and financial inclusion challenges.
Despite improvements in internet connectivity, more than 120 million Nigerians remain offline, largely because many cannot afford smartphones, which have become the primary gateway to education, financial services, e-commerce, and digital employment.
Industry experts say this presents a major opportunity for innovative financing solutions capable of expanding device ownership while accelerating digital inclusion.
Easybuy has positioned itself as one of the companies addressing this challenge through its Buy Now, Pay Later model, which enables customers to acquire smartphones and other electronic devices through flexible repayment plans.
The initiative also targets financial inclusion, an area where millions of Nigerians remain underserved. Current estimates suggest that nearly 29 million adults are still excluded from the formal financial system, while only about 52 per cent of the population owns a bank account.
Stakeholders believe that mobile-driven solutions such as the Easybuy-WAWUAfrica partnership could help bridge these gaps by connecting individuals to digital tools, financial services, training opportunities, and new sources of income.
For both organisations, the project represents more than a training programme. It is a long-term strategy aimed at empowering millions of Nigerians with the skills, resources, and opportunities required to participate meaningfully in the country’s digital economy while contributing to broader economic growth.
