Career orientation, Lagos and Yaoundé

Cameroon and Nigeria both have very young populations. Unfortunately, there are not many prospects for young school and university graduates to find education or employment. As a result, many young people decide to seek their personal fortune elsewhere and emigrate to America, Europe and now Asia. This so-called “brain drain” harms the countries in the long term and makes further economic development enormously difficult. However, there is enough to do in both countries and plenty of fields of activity for professional success. This is precisely where the “Career Orientation for Young Adults” project comes in: Young people in Lagos and Yaounde are to be helped to see the many problems in their communities as an opportunity. The project helps them to develop solutions to these problems on their own in order to create career prospects for themselves and others. The necessary infrastructure must be created in Cameroon for this learning opportunity. This also means that there are training rooms that have sufficient learning materials, but are also equipped with a stable Internet connection and computers. Trainers and coaches create a comprehensive curriculum and advise the trainees on their business ideas. To create an interactive learning experience, a career guidance app is being developed in Nigeria to help trainers assess and evaluate students‘ interests, skills and goals to identify careers that are suitable for them.   

The target group for this project are students and university graduates in Cameroon and Nigeria who have problems finding further education or employment after their education. A special focus is put on girls and young women, as they are often underrepresented with their business ideas.  

The project aims to equip young people with the necessary skills to identify problems in their community and develop business ideas. Through targeted career mentoring and workshops, the youth are trained to draft business plans, learn about existing businesses, and ultimately implement their own ideas. This counteracts the brain drain and creates prospects locally in the countries.  

With your support, you help young people in Cameroon and Nigeria with their career orientation, so that they create perspectives for themselves and others locally.