Facebook Partners with JA, Empowers Young People with Digital Marketing Skills

JA Nigeria announced a partnership with Facebook in line with the vision of raising a generation of digitally-inclined young business leaders, This new partnership will result in the incorporation of a Digital Marketing module into JA’s flagship Company Program to empower young people with Digital Marketing skills.

With the growing need for digital literacy among young people, it was pressing to expose students to digital tools in order to help them bring their business online and market their brands through JA Company Program. JA Company Program teaches secondary school students how to start and run their own business, develop a product or service, form a company, choose a business name and elect company officers to oversee the operation of the company. The program aims to help students move a business idea from concept stage to reality and help them succeed in a global economy.

The Digital Marketing module incorporation was however intended to enable students to build their online presence, connect to a larger audience and grow their businesses. In addition to this, the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for these digital strategies.

Commenting on the partnership, the Executive Director, Junior Achievement Nigeria, Foluso Gbadamosi said, “We are thankful to Facebook for this amazing partnership that will help our Company Program students boost their business profitability and equip them with digital marketing skills. Digital marketing is the skill of the future. It fulfils the objectives of traditional marketing concepts and delivers competitive advantages, measurable ROI and better visibility and engagement”.

“When I came on board, one of the strategic methods I devised to accelerate JAN’s impact is to leverage digital technology to expand our reach as well as enrich our curriculum with relevant digital modules. This partnership is a right step in the right direction as we are on the right track to reaching another one million youth in five years.” Foluso added.

“The economic empowerment of Nigeria remains a priority for us at Facebook. We are excited to partner with JAN as it is an opportunity to further provide Nigerian entrepreneurs, small business owners and citizens with the skills needed to build a profitable business in a digital society. This partnership adds to our ongoing efforts to promote, guide and boost efforts to grow Nigeria's economy by empowering citizens with digital skills.” said Phil Oduor, Policy Programs Manager at Facebook.

In a similar development, JA Nigeria has been implementing the SafeOnline Program in partnership with Facebook and Relearn since September, 2018. SafeOnline program is an online safety program designed to teach students on how to navigate digital platforms in a responsible and safe way.