UNESCO REF SIP-ALPHA, Category 5, launched 2017
The August Project
Developing Local Talent for Global Success: a ten-year programme for the youth of Nigeria and Africa
The capacity-building programme of the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO, launched in Nigeria on 12 August 2017 and at Westminster, London, on 10 May 2019. In 2027, its tenth year, The August Project opens to all fifty-four nations of Africa.
Le programme de renforcement des capacités de la jeunesse, du Nigeria aux cinquante-quatre nations d'Afrique en 2027.
A National Instrument for Human Capital, Decent Work and Global Competitiveness
Un instrument national pour le capital humain, le travail décent et la compétitivité mondiale
Nigeria has the largest youth population in Africa: more than six in ten of its citizens are under the age of twenty-five. Yet its score on the World Bank Human Capital Index is among the lowest in the world, at 0.36, and more than nine in ten employed Nigerians work in the informal economy. Without deliberate investment in capability, the demographic dividend becomes a demographic liability.
The August Project (TAP) is the ten-year capacity-building programme of the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO. It develops four capacities, Intellectual, Leadership, Economic and Digital Technology, through twelve pathways that reach every stage of life from the primary school child to the exporting entrepreneur. Each pillar ends in an assessed award of competency, and each pathway is linked to work, enterprise or further study. TAP was launched in Nigeria on 12 August 2017 and at Westminster, London, on 10 May 2019 in partnership with the Association of Business Executives.
The skills that work demands are changing faster than education systems adapt: employers expect 39 per cent of core skills to change by 2030. The Federal Government has set a target of 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, and the African Union's Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063 makes the skills revolution a continental priority for 2024 to 2033. The tenth year of TAP, in 2027, is the moment to scale the programme with the States.
That Federal and State Governments adopt TAP as an instrument of national youth policy; that diplomatic missions and development partners support its international benchmarking and its replication across Africa; and that companies and finance institutions join its partnership framework to fund cohorts, placements and enterprise finance.
Five Commitments to the Federal Republic and the States
Cinq engagements envers la République fédérale et les États
A national delivery structure
Twelve pathways ready for adoption in each of the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, under one competency framework and with accredited delivery.
Relevant toFederal Ministry of Youth Development · State GovernmentsMeasurable progress on national and global targets
Results reported against SDG indicators 4.4.1, 8.3.1 and 8.6.1, in a form usable in Nigeria's Voluntary National Review.
Relevant toOSSAP-SDGs · Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic PlanningCompetence recognised beyond Nigeria
International benchmarking through partner institutions in the United Kingdom, including ABE, the Institute of Leadership and Management and Arden University.
Relevant toFederal Ministry of Education · Diplomatic missionsA bridge from graduation to work
Engagement with the National Youth Service Corps places capacity development at the moment graduates enter the labour market.
Relevant toNYSC · Federal Ministry of Labour and EmploymentA wider tax base and a model for Africa
Growing, registered enterprises and formal employment broaden the tax base, and the programme is designed for replication across African Union member states.
Relevant toFederal Ministry of Finance · African Union partnersHow a State adopts TAP
Five steps from expression of interest to reporting, set out in the National Deployment section.
See the five stepsA Generation Large Enough to Transform a Nation
Une génération assez nombreuse pour transformer une nation
Nigeria's decisive resource is not the oil beneath its soil but the people above it. The question for public policy is whether that resource is developed, or left to be lost.
Nigeria has been one of Africa's leading oil producers for more than half a century, yet in 2022 the National Bureau of Statistics found 133 million of its people, 63 per cent of the population, to be multidimensionally poor. The World Bank's Human Capital Index estimates that a child born in Nigeria today will reach only 36 per cent of the productivity she could achieve with complete education and full health. The gap between natural abundance and human capability is the structural problem TAP is designed to address.
The demographic arithmetic makes the question urgent. More than six in ten Nigerians are under the age of twenty-five, and the United Nations projects a population of more than 350 million by 2050. A young population is an asset only when it is educated, skilled and employed. Without that investment, the same demography becomes a source of unemployment, informality and social strain.
The labour market already shows the strain. The headline unemployment rate measured by the Nigeria Labour Force Survey was 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024, but more than nine in ten employed Nigerians work in the informal economy, often in work that does not use their education. The problem is less the absence of work than the absence of productive, secure and well-paid work, and of the capabilities that lead to it.
Table 1 · National indicators the programme addresses
| Indicator | Latest value | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Population of Nigeria | 230M+ | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Share of the population under 25 | 60%+ | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Projected population in 2050 | 350M+ | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 |
| People living in multidimensional poverty | 133M | National Bureau of Statistics, Multidimensional Poverty Index 2022 |
| Human Capital Index | 0.36 | World Bank, Human Capital Index 2020 |
| Headline unemployment rate | 5.3% | National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria Labour Force Survey, Q1 2024 |
| Employed persons in informal employment | 9 in 10+ | National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria Labour Force Survey, 2023 and 2024 |
| Children out of school | 18.3M | UNICEF Nigeria estimate |
| Core worker skills expected to change by 2030 | 39% | World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025 |
| National digital literacy target for 2030 | 95% | Federal Government, National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020 to 2030 |
The deficit is not in the raw material of human potential. It is in the institutional architecture that develops that potential, validates it against international standards and connects it to opportunity.The August Project, programme design
The four structural gaps
Thinking
Systems that reward memorisation over judgement produce graduates who hold certificates but struggle with unfamiliar problems.
Leadership
Talented people rise to responsibility without a national pipeline that prepares them for it in advance.
Enterprise
Most young Nigerians work in small informal enterprises that rarely grow, for want of financial capability and mentorship.
Digital
A fast-growing digital economy rewards those who can create value with technology, not only consume it.
SourcesNational Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022) and Nigeria Labour Force Survey (2023 and 2024). World Bank, Human Capital Index (2020). United Nations, World Population Prospects (2024). World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report (2025). Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020 to 2030. UNICEF Nigeria.
The Youth Capability Gap
L'écart de capacités de la jeunesse : six constats et leurs conséquences pour la conception du programme
The case for The August Project rests on six findings from the national and international evidence. Together they explain why Nigeria's youth need a long-horizon, integrated programme rather than another short course.
A generation at the scale of a nation
Nigeria's population is among the youngest in the world. The United Nations estimates that about 42 per cent of Nigerians are under fifteen and a further fifth are aged fifteen to twenty-four. Each year several million young people reach working age. The country's population is projected to exceed 350 million by 2050, and Africa as a whole will be home to about one in four people on earth. Whether this becomes a dividend depends on the capability of the young people who enter the labour market over the next decade.
Source: United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024. Shares rounded.
Work without security
Nigeria's headline unemployment rate, measured under the revised methodology of the Nigeria Labour Force Survey, was 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024. The figure is low because most people cannot afford not to work. More than nine in ten employed Nigerians are in informal employment, without contracts, social protection or reliable income, and many graduates work in roles that do not use their education. The challenge is not only to create jobs but to raise the productivity, security and income of the work young people already do.
The foundational deficit
The World Bank's Human Capital Index measures the productivity a child born today can expect to reach, given the education and health systems of her country. Nigeria's score of 0.36 is below the average for sub-Saharan Africa and well below that of comparable economies such as Ghana, Kenya and South Africa. UNICEF estimates that about 18.3 million Nigerian children are out of school. Many young people therefore reach adulthood without the foundational reasoning and communication skills on which all further learning depends, which is why the Intellectual pillar comes first in TAP.
Source: World Bank, Human Capital Index 2020. A score of 0.36 means a child born today will reach 36 per cent of her productive potential.
The skills the next economy demands
The World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report 2025 finds that employers expect 39 per cent of workers' core skills to change by 2030, with analytical thinking, resilience, leadership and technological literacy among the fastest growing. Artificial intelligence is reshaping entry-level work worldwide. Nigeria has responded with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and its target of 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030, and with the Three Million Technical Talent programme. Digital skills alone, however, do not make an employable or entrepreneurial person; they must be joined to judgement, leadership and economic capability.
Why many youth programmes fall short
The international evidence on youth employment programmes is sobering and instructive. A review of active labour market programmes in developing countries by McKenzie (2017) finds that the average effects of vocational training on employment and earnings are modest. A global meta-analysis by Card, Kluve and Weber (2018) shows that the effects of training programmes are small in the short run but grow two to three years after completion, so programmes judged too early, or ended too soon, understate or forfeit their benefits. A quantitative review of youth employment programmes by Kluve and colleagues (2019) finds larger effects in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income ones, and that design matters more than the type of intervention: programmes that integrate several services, target well and monitor participants perform better.
What the evidence implies for design
The lesson is not that youth programmes fail, but that short, isolated and unmeasured ones do. The design of TAP answers each finding directly.
| What the evidence shows | How TAP is designed in response |
|---|---|
| Gains from training build over two to three years and are lost when programmes stop early (Card, Kluve and Weber, 2018) | A ten-year horizon and progressive pathways that carry a participant from one stage to the next |
| Training without a recognised credential tells employers little | Four assessed awards of competency, benchmarked through United Kingdom partners |
| Integrated programmes outperform single interventions (Kluve and others, 2019) | Skills, mentoring, placement, enterprise support and finance combined within each pathway |
| Lack of capital constrains young entrepreneurs more than lack of training (Blattman and Ralston, 2015) | The TAP Private Loan Scheme and finance partners under the PIG framework |
| Programmes that are not measured cannot be improved or trusted | A results framework with tracer surveys at six and twelve months, reported against SDG indicators |
SourcesUnited Nations, World Population Prospects 2024. National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria Labour Force Survey (2024). World Bank, Human Capital Index (2020). UNICEF Nigeria. World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025. McKenzie (2017). Card, Kluve and Weber (2018). Kluve and others (2019). Blattman and Ralston (2015). Full references at the end of this page.
The Four Capacity Pillars
Les quatre piliers de la capacité : l'architecture du développement du capital humain
Four capacity domains, each a standalone programme with its own curriculum, delivery, assessment and award of competency. Together they form the complete TAP competency framework.
Intellectual Capacity
The foundation on which the other three pillars rest. It develops the ability to think clearly, reason from evidence, solve problems not seen before and communicate ideas with precision: the capabilities employers now rank above any single technical skill.
- Critical thinking and structured argument
- Evidence-based reasoning and problem solving
- Written and oral communication
AwardUNESCO REF Certificate of Proficiency in Intellectual Capacity Development
Leadership Capacity
The ethical, strategic and institutional capabilities that allow a person to lead others well and to build organisations that outlast their founders. Nigeria does not lack talented leaders; it lacks a systematic pipeline that prepares them before they arrive.
- Ethical governance and public trust
- Strategy, influence and institutional design
- Leading teams, communities and movements
AwardUNESCO REF Certificate of Proficiency in Ethical Leadership and Governance Capacity
Economic Capacity
TAP's principal contribution to SDG 8. It develops the financial intelligence, enterprise skills and confidence that allow a young person to create value: to manage money well, to build a business that survives, or to contribute as an enterprising professional.
- Financial capability and personal finance
- Enterprise formation, management and growth
- Access to markets, mentorship and finance
AwardUNESCO REF Certificate of Proficiency in Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
Digital Technology Capacity
Prepares young Nigerians to create value in an economy reshaped by digital technology and artificial intelligence, in step with the national target of 95 per cent digital literacy by 2030.
- Digital fluency for life and work
- Responsible and critical use of artificial intelligence
- Pathways into data, programming and digital enterprise
AwardUNESCO REF Certificate of Proficiency in Digital Technology and Innovation Capacity
Admission is earned, not automatic
Candidates must attain Grade A in each of the four pillars. The Capstone brings intellectual, leadership, economic and digital capacity together in a single framework, and prepares its graduates for leadership at the highest institutional and civic levels in Nigeria and internationally.
Award of confermentProfessional Diploma in Personal Reinvention and Transformation
Theory of change
Capability
A young person gains demonstrable competence in thinking, leading, enterprise and technology.
Recognition
Assessment and an award of competency make that capability visible to employers and institutions.
Opportunity
Pathways connect the graduate to employment, enterprise, finance and markets.
National return
Productive, formal work raises incomes, broadens the tax base and compounds across a generation.
Twelve Pathways, One National Programme
Douze parcours, un programme national
TAP meets each young Nigerian where she or he stands: from the child in primary school to the graduate leaving national service and the entrepreneur ready to export.
Each pathway applies the four pillars to a defined population with its own entry point, delivery mode and outcome. A brief dossier for each pathway can be read on this page; full dossiers are shared with accredited institutions.
| No. | Pathway | Who it serves and what it delivers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0 | Unskilled Youths | Foundational capacity development for young people without prior formal skills, with entry-level certification. | |
| 2.1 | Skilled Youths | Formalisation and certification of skills young people already hold, with advanced competency enhancement. | |
| 2.2 | Graduates | Labour market readiness for university and polytechnic graduates, translating qualifications into demonstrable professional competence. | |
| 2.3 | TAP Kids Programme | Early intellectual and creative development: critical thinking, curiosity and productive ambition. | |
| 2.3+ | TAP Teens Programme | Skilled and Caregiver Training for adolescents, bridging secondary education and professional competence. | |
| 2.4 | TAP Private Loan Scheme | Financial instruments that lower the capital barrier for enterprise-ready graduates. | |
| 2.5 | Small Scale Entrepreneurs | Business Stay Up: advisory support, market linkage and mentorship that turn fragile start-ups into durable businesses. | |
| 2.5+ | Medium Scale Entrepreneurs | Growth-stage acceleration and regional expansion for established enterprises. | |
| 2.6 | TAP Summer Camp | Residential immersion for skills, leadership and exchange across Nigeria's geopolitical zones. | |
| 2.7 | TAP (Nigerian) Diaspora | Structured channels for diaspora expertise, networks and capital to serve national development. | |
| 2.8 | TAP Export | Trade facilitation and access to international value chains for graduates and partner enterprises. | |
| 2.9 | TAP Partnership (PIG) | The framework through which the Private sector, Individuals and Government institutes fund, validate and scale national delivery. |
From Capability to Prosperity: The Theory of Change
De la compétence à la prospérité : la théorie du changement
If young people acquire capability that is assessed against an international standard, recognised by employers and connected to work, enterprise and finance, then they will move from informal and insecure activity into decent work and growing enterprises, because the binding constraint on Africa's youth is not potential but the institutional architecture that develops, validates and connects it.
| Level | What it comprises | How it is evidenced |
|---|---|---|
| Inputs | Curricula and assessment standards for four pillars, accredited delivery centres, facilitators, digital platforms, national memoranda and co-financing | Signed memoranda, accreditation records, budgets |
| Activities | Entry assessment, instruction across twelve pathways, mentoring, placements, enterprise support and access to finance | Delivery logs, attendance, placement agreements |
| Outputs | Young people assessed and awarded certificates of competency in each pillar | Moderated assessment records, awards issued |
| Outcomes | Transition into employment, further study or enterprise; enterprises registered and growing; ICT skills demonstrated | Tracer surveys at six and twelve months; SDG indicators 4.4.1, 8.3.1 and 8.6.1 |
| Impact | A larger, more productive formal economy; a wider tax base; a generation competitive in national, continental and global markets | National statistics and the continental report |
Assumptions and how they are managed
Hypothèses et leur gestion
| Assumption | How the programme manages it |
|---|---|
| Employers value assessed competence over unverified claims | Awards benchmarked with United Kingdom professional and academic partners, and employers engaged in pathway design |
| Labour markets and enterprise finance can absorb certified graduates | Pathways matched to each nation's labour market, enterprise pathways linked to finance, and the continental market of the AfCFTA |
| Governments sustain commitment across political cycles | A ten-year horizon, national ownership through memoranda and multi-partner financing |
| Young people can complete the programme alongside their obligations | Blended delivery, flexible scheduling and pathways for every stage of life |
Human Capital as National Wealth
Le capital humain comme richesse nationale
The greater part of the wealth of nations lies in people. Investment in their capability is among the highest-return investments a government can make.
The World Bank's assessment of the Changing Wealth of Nations finds that human capital is the largest component of global wealth, ahead of produced capital and natural resources. Countries that converted resource revenues into human capability, among them Botswana, Indonesia, Malaysia and Norway, built more resilient economies than those that did not. With the global energy transition shortening the horizon of oil revenue, the case for Nigeria is direct.
The private return to education is well documented. The global review by Psacharopoulos and Patrinos estimates that each additional year of schooling raises earnings by about nine per cent on average, with returns that remain high in sub-Saharan Africa. Skills that are recognised by employers, and enterprise that grows beyond subsistence, carry that return into the formal economy.
Source: World Bank, The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 (data for 2018).
How the return reaches the public purse
Higher capability raises productivity and earnings, and with them household consumption and saving.
Enterprises that grow and register broaden the tax base and the reach of public policy.
A skilled, digitally capable workforce adapts to economic shocks and attracts investment.
SourcesWorld Bank (2021), The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021. Psacharopoulos, G. and Patrinos, H. A. (2018), Returns to investment in education: a decennial review of the global literature. World Bank, Human Capital Index (2020).
The Largest Generation in Africa's History
La plus grande génération de l'histoire de l'Afrique
Africa holds the world's youngest population and its fastest-growing labour force. The decisive question of the next two decades is whether that generation enters productive work or is held in insecurity.
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Young Africans entering the labour market each year | 10 to 12M | African Development Bank, Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy 2016 to 2025 |
| Formal jobs created each year | About 3M | African Development Bank, Jobs for Youth in Africa Strategy 2016 to 2025 |
| Young people in sub-Saharan Africa without secure work | 3 in 4 | International Labour Organization, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 |
| Young people worldwide not in employment, education or training | 20% | International Labour Organization, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024, data for 2023 |
| Share of those young people who are women | 2 in 3 | International Labour Organization, Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024 |
| People on earth who will live in Africa by 2050 | 1 in 4 | United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 |
| Member states of the African Union | 55 | African Union |
What the evidence means for programme design
Ce que les données impliquent pour la conception du programme
Three conclusions follow. First, the scale of entry into the labour market exceeds what formal employment alone can absorb, so a credible programme must build enterprise as well as employability. Second, insecurity rather than open unemployment is the dominant condition of young African workers, so the value of a programme lies in recognised competence that moves people into secure work. Third, young women carry a disproportionate share of exclusion, so inclusion must be designed into every pathway rather than added afterwards. The August Project answers each conclusion through its Economic pillar and enterprise pathways, its assessed awards of competency, and its inclusion commitments.
From a National Programme to an African Model
D'un programme national à un modèle africain
Africa is the youngest continent on earth. What Nigeria proves at national scale, other African Union member states can adopt.
The African Continental Free Trade Area, whose agreement entered into force in 2019, is creating a single market in which skilled workers and growing enterprises can trade across borders. A continental market rewards the capacities TAP develops: enterprise that can scale, leadership that can govern, and digital capability that can compete. Nigeria, as Africa's most populous country, is where a model of youth capability can be proven at the scale the continent needs.
National proof
TAP delivered across the States of the Federation, with results measured and published.
Regional adoption
Exchange with ECOWAS member states and their National Commissions for UNESCO.
Continental model
A replicable architecture offered to African Union member states.
Shared standard
Comparable awards of competency that let skills move with people across borders.
The continental roll-out, 2027
Le déploiement continental, 2027
In 2027, the tenth year of the programme, UNESCO REF opens The August Project to all fifty-four nations of Africa. Each nation adopts the same four capacity pillars and twelve pathways, under one competency framework and one family of awards, delivered through its own institutions and adapted to its own labour market. A young woman certified in Accra, Nairobi or Dakar holds the same assessed standard as a young man certified in Abuja, and her skills travel with her across the African Continental Free Trade Area.
The arithmetic is the continent's central development question. Every year, between ten and twelve million young Africans reach working age, while the formal economy creates about three million jobs. The difference is absorbed by informal work, underemployment and migration. A continental programme that certifies capability, builds enterprises and connects young people to employers addresses that gap at its source.
| Level | Role | Instrument |
|---|---|---|
| National Governments | Adopt TAP as an instrument of national youth, education and employment policy, through a designated focal ministry | Country memorandum of understanding with UNESCO REF |
| National Commissions for UNESCO | Institutional liaison within the UNESCO framework of each Member State | Designation of a national focal point |
| Regional Economic Communities | Exchange between neighbouring States and mutual recognition of awards, beginning with ECOWAS | Regional dialogue and recognition arrangements |
| African Union | Continental alignment with Agenda 2063 and its skills revolution | Reporting against Agenda 2063 and SDG targets |
| Development partners | Co-financing of national cohorts, pathways and continental coordination | Partnership agreements with a results framework |
How a nation joins
Comment une nation rejoint le programme
Expression of interest
The Government, or its National Commission for UNESCO, writes to UNESCO REF.
A focal ministry
A ministry responsible for youth, education or employment is designated as national lead.
Country memorandum
A memorandum of understanding sets out roles, financing, safeguards and reporting.
The first cohort
Pathways are selected for national priorities and the first national cohort is enrolled.
Shared results
Results are published nationally and contribute to the continental report.
Five Ways to Invest in Africa's Youth Through One Programme
Cinq façons d'investir dans la jeunesse africaine à travers un seul programme
The August Project offers development partners a governed, measurable and continental vehicle for investment in young people. The European Union, agencies of the United Nations system, development banks, bilateral cooperation agencies and foundations may engage through any of five instruments, alone or in combination.
| Instrument | What it finances | How results are reported |
|---|---|---|
| National cohort sponsorship | The training, assessment and award of a defined cohort of young people in one nation | Verified completion and award records, by cohort |
| Pathway co-financing | One of the twelve pathways across several nations, for example TAP Export or Small Scale Entrepreneurs | Pathway indicators reported against SDG 8 targets |
| Results-based financing | Disbursement against verified outcomes: certification, placement and enterprise registration | Independent verification before each payment |
| Technical partnership | Curriculum, assessment, recognition of awards and digital delivery | Joint quality reports |
| Continental coordination | The shared competency standard, the continental results dashboard and coordination between nations | An annual continental report |
Every instrument operates within the safeguards set out in this edition: ring-fenced accounts, disbursement against verified milestones and independent audit. A partner may therefore finance a single national cohort and see its result, or support the continental architecture and see the result across many nations.
Implementation Roadmap, 2027 to 2030
Feuille de route de mise en œuvre, 2027 à 2030
The continental phase builds on ten years of national delivery in Nigeria. It proceeds in three stages, each with defined milestones, so that partners can see what their support achieves at every point.
| Stage | Period | Milestones |
|---|---|---|
| I. Continental opening | 2027 | The programme opens to all fifty-four nations of Africa in its tenth year; expressions of interest received; first country memoranda concluded; continental results framework adopted |
| II. First national cohorts | 2028 | First cohorts enrolled outside Nigeria; national baselines published; regional recognition of awards opened with ECOWAS member states |
| III. Scale and evidence | 2029 to 2030 | Expansion in participating nations; independent mid-term evaluation; first continental report, aligned with the close of the 2030 Agenda |
Sustainability and national ownership
Durabilité et appropriation nationale
Each nation owns its delivery from the outset. Curricula and assessment standards are transferred to national institutions, national facilitators and assessors are trained and accredited, and financing moves progressively from partner support to national budgets and private co-financing. The aim is a programme that a Government continues because it works, not one that ends when external funding ends.
A Blended Financing Architecture
Une architecture de financement mixte
No single source can finance the capability of a generation. The August Project brings public, multilateral, private and philanthropic finance into one governed structure, each source paying for what it is best placed to finance.
| Source | Role | Typical instrument |
|---|---|---|
| National Governments | Ownership, co-financing of national cohorts and delivery infrastructure | Budget allocation under the country memorandum |
| Multilateral and bilateral partners | Catalytic finance for cohorts, pathways, evaluation and continental coordination | Grants, results-based financing, technical cooperation |
| Development finance institutions | Finance for enterprises created by programme graduates | Credit lines and blended finance |
| Companies | Placements, mentoring, recruitment and sector-specific pathways | Partnership agreements under the PIG framework |
| Foundations | Cohorts for priority populations, including young women and persons with disabilities | Grants and sponsored places |
| UNESCO REF | Learner sponsorship through the Educational Financial Facility Scheme | Sponsored places under the EFFS |
Value for money
Optimisation des ressources
Value for money is assessed on four criteria. Economy: inputs procured competitively and delivery through existing national institutions. Efficiency: one competency framework and shared digital platforms serving every nation. Effectiveness: payment and reporting tied to verified outcomes rather than activity. Equity: resources directed to those whom markets alone would leave behind. Unit costing and financing options for each pathway are set out in the full programme dossier.
Lessons from National Skills Systems
Les enseignements des systèmes nationaux de compétences
Countries that have turned young populations into productive workforces share a small number of design choices. TAP draws on six of them.
The dual vocational system
Vocational education that combines classroom learning with paid training inside firms, regulated nationally since the Vocational Training Act of 1969.
Lesson for TAPCompetence must be recognised by employers, not only by educators.
SkillsFuture, 2015
A national movement for lifelong learning that gives every adult citizen a training credit to spend on approved courses throughout working life.
Lesson for TAPCapability is renewed across a career, which is why TAP teaches personal reinvention.
Youth Employment Service, 2018
A business-led partnership with government that places unemployed young people in a year of quality work experience.
Lesson for TAPEmployers must be partners in delivery, as they are in TAP's placement pathways.
Ajira Digital Programme, 2016
A government initiative that equips young people to find and perform digital and online work.
Lesson for TAPDigital skill becomes income when it is connected to real markets for work.
National Employment Programme, 2014
A national framework that combines skills development, entrepreneurship and access to finance for young people.
Lesson for TAPSkills, enterprise support and finance work best together.
OFPPT, 1974
A national office for vocational training and the promotion of work, delivering training at scale through a network of institutes across the country.
Lesson for TAPNational scale needs a dedicated, durable delivery institution.
The six principles TAP builds in
- Recognised competence: every pillar ends in an assessed award.
- Learning across a lifetime: pathways from childhood to enterprise growth.
- Employers as partners: placements, mentoring and recruitment.
- Connection to markets: digital work, export and value chains.
- Skills with finance: the Private Loan Scheme and finance partners.
- A durable institution: a ten-year programme anchored in UNESCO REF.
SDG 8, SDG 4 and the African Skills Revolution
L'alignement mondial : les Objectifs de développement durable et l'Agenda 2063
TAP is UNESCO REF's principal operational response to SDG 8, Decent Work and Economic Growth, and to SDG 4, Quality Education. It also contributes to SDGs 1, 5, 9, 10, 16 and 17, and to the skills revolution called for in the African Union's Agenda 2063 and its Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan for 2024 to 2033.
Global alignment map
Carte d'alignement mondial
A filled mark denotes a primary contribution, measured against an official indicator; an open mark denotes a contributory effect that the programme records but does not claim as its principal result.
| Programme component | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 16 | 17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pillar 01 · Intellectual | ||||||||
| Pillar 02 · Leadership | ||||||||
| Pillar 03 · Economic | ||||||||
| Pillar 04 · Digital Technology | ||||||||
| Pathways 2.0 to 2.8 | ||||||||
| Partnership (PIG) and governance |
Primary contributionContributory effect
Commitments the programme advancesLes engagements que le programme fait progresserOpen the provisions
| Instrument | Provision | How TAP responds |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 4 | Target 4.4: increase the number of youth and adults with relevant skills, including technical skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship | Four awards of competency, tracked against indicator 4.4.1 on ICT skills |
| SDG 8 | Target 8.3: support entrepreneurship and the formalisation of small enterprises; Target 8.6: reduce youth not in employment, education or training | Economic pillar and enterprise pathways, tracked against indicators 8.3.1 and 8.6.1 |
| SDG 5 | Target 5.5: women's full participation and equal opportunities for leadership | Leadership pillar open to young women and men on equal terms |
| SDG 17 | Target 17.17: effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships | The PIG partnership framework with institutions in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States |
| Agenda 2063 | Aspiration 1: well-educated citizens and a skills revolution; Aspiration 6: development driven by women and youth | A national model for youth capability, replicable across member states |
| African Youth Charter | Article 13, education and skills development; Article 15, sustainable livelihoods and youth employment | Pathways from education to work and enterprise |
| CESA 16 to 25 | Continental Education Strategy for Africa: skills, technical training and lifelong learning | Competency-based learning for all ages, from TAP Kids to enterprise growth |
| Nigeria | National Youth Policy; National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020 to 2030; Three Million Technical Talent programme | Digital and enterprise capacity aligned with national targets, reported through the Office of the SSAP-SDGs |
Alignment with United Nations and African Union frameworks
Alignement sur les cadres des Nations Unies et de l'Union africaine
| Framework | How The August Project contributes |
|---|---|
| 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Principal contribution to SDG 8 and SDG 4, reported against indicators 4.4.1, 8.3.1 and 8.6.1 |
| Youth2030, the United Nations Youth Strategy | Economic empowerment of young people through decent work and education |
| UNESCO Strategy for TVET, 2022 to 2029 | Skills for employment, decent work and entrepreneurship, recognised through assessed awards |
| Agenda 2063 and its Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan | The skills revolution as continental priority for 2024 to 2033 |
| Continental Education Strategy for Africa | Technical and vocational skills and lifelong learning |
| African Youth Charter | The right of young people to education, skills and sustainable livelihoods |
| African Continental Free Trade Area | Portable competence for a single continental market |
What Each Institution Gains from The August Project
Ce que chaque institution gagne du Projet August
Federal Government
- A ready instrument for national youth, education and employment policy
- Reportable progress on SDG 4 and SDG 8 targets
- A broader tax base as enterprises grow and formalise
State Governments
- A programme adopted through one memorandum of understanding
- Pathways matched to the State's own labour market
- Verified results to present to citizens and investors
Diplomatic missions
- A credible partner for youth, skills and trade cooperation
- Exchange and benchmarking with institutions in their own country
- A model for bilateral programmes across West Africa
Development and finance institutions
- A governed vehicle for youth investment, with a results framework
- Enterprise pipelines for credit and blended finance
- Safeguards, ring-fenced accounts and independent audit
Companies
- Access to assessed, work-ready graduates
- Structured placements and mentoring with a defined return
- Measurable social impact for reporting to stakeholders
Universities and professional bodies
- Progression routes into recognised qualifications
- Research partnership on youth capability in Africa
- A presence in Africa's largest youth market
What Is Measured, and How
Le cadre de résultats : ce qui est mesuré et comment
Every TAP outcome is defined before delivery begins, measured during it and verified after it. Results are reported to States and partners in a form they can use in their own SDG reporting.
| Result | Indicator | Means of verification | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Competence acquired | Participants attaining each award of competency, by pillar, sex and State | Assessment records and moderation reports | Each cohort |
| Digital capability | Participants demonstrating defined ICT skills (SDG indicator 4.4.1) | Practical assessment | Each cohort |
| Transition to work | Graduates in employment, education or enterprise six and twelve months after completion (SDG 8.6.1) | Tracer survey | Six and twelve months |
| Enterprise growth | Enterprises formed, registered or expanded by pathway participants (SDG 8.3.1) | Enterprise records and registration data | Annual |
| Inclusion | Share of participants who are women, rural residents or persons with disabilities | Enrolment data | Each cohort |
| Distinction | Candidates admitted to the SIP-ALPHA Capstone | Grade records across the four pillars | Annual |
Note on presentation. This page presents indicators, not results. Verified programme data are shared with accredited partners through the full programme dossier.
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
Suivi, évaluation et apprentissage
Results are measured from baseline to impact, verified independently and published, so that Governments and partners can hold the programme to account and the evidence base of youth development in Africa grows with it.
| Component | Method | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Baseline | National baseline of the indicators in the results framework before the first cohort | Once, in each nation |
| Monitoring | Enrolment, completion and assessment data, disaggregated by sex, age, disability and location | Continuous, reported each cohort |
| Tracer surveys | Employment, study and enterprise status of graduates | Six and twelve months after completion |
| Verification | Independent verification of results that trigger results-based payments | Before each payment |
| Evaluation | Independent mid-term and final evaluations against the OECD DAC criteria: relevance, coherence, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability | Mid-term and final |
| Learning | Findings published in The REF Review, the open-access journal of UNESCO REF, and shared with participating Governments | Annual |
Participant data are collected with consent, held securely and used only for programme purposes. Aggregate results are published; individual records are never disclosed.
Leave No One Behind
Ne laisser personne de côté : égalité des genres et inclusion
The pledge of the 2030 Agenda to leave no one behind is a design principle of The August Project, not a reporting category. Those furthest from opportunity are reached first, through pathways and measures built for them.
Two in three excluded young people are women
Inclusion targets in every national memorandum, safe and flexible delivery, and pathways into enterprise and finance where women are under-represented.
Accessible by design
Accessible formats and venues, reasonable accommodation in assessment, and a dedicated companion programme, The VOICE Initiative, for women with disabilities.
A first step for those without qualifications
The Unskilled Youths pathway certifies what young people can already do and opens a route into the four pillars.
Delivery where it is hardest
Blended and digital delivery that continues where conflict, displacement or distance would otherwise exclude young people.
Safeguarding
Protection des participants
Every delivery partner works under the safeguarding standards of the programme: zero tolerance of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, confidential reporting channels, vetting of staff and facilitators who work with young people, and protection of personal data.
Accountability Built into the Programme
Gouvernance, garanties et redevabilité
The August Project is directed by UNESCO REF, which works with the Nigerian National Commission for UNESCO. Delivery in each State is governed by a memorandum of understanding that defines roles, financing, safeguards and reporting. Assessment is moderated, and awards are issued only against documented evidence of competence.
Risk register
| Risk | Response |
|---|---|
| Uneven quality across States and centres | A single competency framework, accredited centres and moderated assessment |
| Training that does not lead to work | Pathways linked to employers, enterprise support, finance and markets, with tracer surveys |
| Exclusion of women, rural youth and persons with disabilities | Inclusion targets in each State agreement and disaggregated reporting |
| Interruption across political cycles | A ten-year horizon, State ownership and multi-partner financing through the PIG framework |
| Misuse of funds | Ring-fenced programme accounts, milestone-based disbursement and independent audit |
| Data protection | Participant data held under consent and used only for programme purposes |
Governance architecture of the continental phase
Architecture de gouvernance de la phase continentale
| Body | Composition | Function |
|---|---|---|
| Programme Board | UNESCO REF, representatives of participating Governments and principal financing partners | Strategic direction, approval of annual plans and budgets, oversight of results |
| Programme Secretariat | UNESCO REF, Abuja | Management, standards, quality assurance and continental reporting |
| National Coordination Units | The national focal ministry and the National Commission for UNESCO | National delivery, baselines and reporting |
| Technical Advisory Panel | Academic and professional partners | Curriculum, assessment and recognition of awards |
| Independent evaluator | Appointed through open procurement | Verification of results and independent evaluation |
Westminster, London, 10 May 2019
Le lancement au Royaume-Uni : une déclaration d'ambition internationale pour la jeunesse nigériane
Nigerian youth do not need to be developed to a national standard alone. They need to be competitive by world standards. The United Kingdom launch made that argument with institutional weight.
TAP was launched in the United Kingdom at Westminster on 10 May 2019, in partnership with the Association of Business Executives (ABE), whose qualifications are recognised by employers and academic institutions in many countries. The launch established for TAP a pathway benchmarked to international standards, so that a young Nigerian's competence can be read and valued beyond Nigeria's borders.
Rob May, Chief Executive of ABE, addressed the Westminster audience and affirmed ABE's commitment to TAP as a vehicle through which Nigerian youth would hold qualifications carrying international professional recognition. That is the difference between a local certificate and a portable career credential.
A Message from the Director
Message du Directeur : une vision fondatrice pour le capital humain nigérian
“Given the right tools and environment, Nigerian youth can compete at the highest levels in various industries and exceed expectations globally.”
Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, Director, The August Project · President, UNESCO REF · Senior Fellow, ABE« Avec les bons outils et le bon environnement, la jeunesse nigériane peut rivaliser au plus haut niveau et dépasser les attentes à l'échelle mondiale. »The Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO finds it paramount that meaningful and sustainable programmes be put in place for the renaissance of four critical areas among Nigeria's youth: Intellectual, Leadership, Economic and Digital Technology capacity. These four areas are not a taxonomy imposed by external theory. They are the domains in which UNESCO REF's engagement with Nigeria's youth identified the deepest structural gaps, the most consequential underinvestment and the highest potential returns.
TAP aims to restore the authority of originality in enterprise and to encourage the meeting of fresh ideas. Nigeria's young people are among the most creative, entrepreneurial and capable on the continent. The deficit is not in human potential. It is in the institutional architecture that develops that potential, validates it against international standards and connects it to the markets and institutions where it can create value for the individual and for the nation.
No one is coming to save us. We owe ourselves our salvation.Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan
The illiterates of the twenty-first century are not those who cannot read. They are those who cannot unlearn the limitations they have been conditioned to accept. TAP is designed to produce a generation that has replaced inherited constraints with demonstrated competence, ready not merely to take part in the national economy but to transform it.
TAP and the National Youth Service Corps
Le programme sur le terrain : le TAP dans les camps du Service national de la jeunesse
The NYSC is where Nigeria meets its graduates. TAP is present at that exact moment, with the architecture their degrees did not provide.
Established in 1973 and operating in all 36 States and the FCT, the National Youth Service Corps mobilises Nigerian university and polytechnic graduates for a year of national service. It is the single largest point of structured contact between the Federal Government and its graduate population, and it reaches each graduate at the threshold between education and working life, the moment at which structured capacity development produces its highest return.
TAP's engagement in orientation camps, through advocacy visits led by the Director with institutional partners, places the programme inside the federal institution with the greatest graduate reach in Nigeria. The NYSC is a partner of The August Project.
SourcesNational Youth Service Corps Decree No. 24 of 1973. National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. UNESCO REF field documentation.
How a State Adopts The August Project
Comment un État adopte le Projet August
TAP is designed for delivery across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory. Each State adopts the programme through a defined sequence, so that delivery is owned locally and reported nationally.
- Expression of interest and designation of a focal point by the State Government, usually through the ministry responsible for youth, education or economic planning, or the State SDGs office.
- Selection of pathways and pillars matched to the State's priorities, population and labour market.
- Memorandum of understanding setting out roles, cohort size, financing, safeguards and reporting.
- Enrolment and delivery through accredited centres, partner institutions and the NYSC, with assessment against the TAP competency framework.
- Monitoring and reporting against the results framework, consolidated nationally and made available to the State and its partners.
Programme timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 12 Aug 2017 | National launch of The August Project in Nigeria |
| 10 May 2019 | United Kingdom launch at Westminster, London, in partnership with ABE |
| 2017 onward | Advocacy and engagement at NYSC orientation camps |
| 2026 | Publication of the TAP Papers and the four pillar dossiers |
| 2027 | Tenth year of the programme: consolidated review of the first decade |
The Memorandum of Understanding, Abuja
La signature du protocole d'accord, Abuja
The signing of the memorandum of understanding in Abuja in 2019 established the institutional commitment on which its delivery across the Federation rests.
Together with the United Kingdom launch in 2019, it gives TAP a dual foundation: national ownership in Nigeria and international standing through its partners abroad.
An International Consortium for Nigerian Youth
Un consortium international au service de la jeunesse nigériane
The August Project is delivered with public, professional and academic institutions in Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Among several other institutions.
What each partner can do
Adopt TAP in a State, co-finance cohorts and integrate results into national reporting.
Support international benchmarking, exchange and the replication of the model across Africa.
Offer placements, mentorship and enterprise finance, and recruit certified graduates.
Contribute curriculum, assessment, recognition and progression routes.
Fund cohorts in priority populations, including women, rural youth and persons with disabilities.
Contribute expertise, networks and capital through the Diaspora pathway.
The TAP Papers
Les fondements scientifiques du Projet August : deux études publiées par UNESCO REF
Two institutional papers set out the evidence and reasoning on which The August Project rests.
Beyond the Wellhead: Human Development and the Limits of Oil-Led Growth in Nigeria
Au-delà du puits : le développement humain et les limites de la croissance fondée sur le pétrole au Nigeria
For more than sixty years, oil has defined Nigeria's place in the world economy. This paper argues that Nigeria's decisive resource is the people above its soil, reviews the evidence on the resource curse and the economics of human capital, and draws lessons from countries that converted resource revenues into human capability.
AuthorUNESCO REF. Paginated reading, with references and citation.
Personal Reinvention and Transformation: A Theory of Self-Renewal for a Changing World of Work
Réinvention et transformation personnelles : une théorie du renouvellement de soi dans un monde du travail en mutation
Skills lose their value faster and careers change direction several times in a working life. This paper develops a theory of personal reinvention: the deliberate, evidence-informed renewal of a person's capabilities, identity and direction, which TAP teaches as a discipline.
AuthorUNESCO REF. Paginated reading, with references and citation.
The Public Edition and the Full Programme Dossier
L'édition publique et le dossier complet du programme
This page is the public edition of The August Project. The full programme dossier remains with UNESCO REF and is shared with accredited governments and institutions.
Governments and their agencies, State Governments, diplomatic missions, multilateral and bilateral institutions, development finance institutions, companies, foundations, universities and civil society organisations with a relevant mandate may request it through accreditation.
What the full dossier contains
- The operational plan for national and State delivery
- Unit costing and financing options for each pathway
- Full curricula and assessment standards for the four pillars
- Full dossiers for the twelve pathways
- The complete results framework and verified programme data
- The risk register, safeguards and audit arrangements
- Draft State memorandum of understanding
The accreditation process
La procédure d'accréditation
- Expression of interest addressed to UNESCO REF, naming the institution, its mandate and the component of the programme of interest.
- Accreditation through confirmation of mandate, designation of a focal point and a confidentiality undertaking appropriate to the sensitivity of the dossier.
- Access and consultation, comprising the full dossier and a working session with the programme team, in person in Abuja or remotely.
- Partnership agreement defining contributions, roles, governance, reporting and the terms on which results are published.
Reservation of discretion
Réserve de discrétion
UNESCO REF reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to grant, defer or decline any request for access to the full programme dossier, and is not obliged to state the reasons for its decision. This reflects the confidential character of the dossier and the care with which it is shared, and implies no judgement on the standing of the requesting institution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions fréquentes
The programme
Le programme
What is The August Project?
The August Project (TAP) is the ten-year capacity-building programme of UNESCO REF. It develops Intellectual, Leadership, Economic and Digital Technology capacity in young Nigerians, and was launched in Nigeria on 12 August 2017 and in the United Kingdom on 10 May 2019.
Why four pillars?
They correspond to the four structural gaps between the capabilities the twenty-first century economy demands and those Nigeria's education and training systems currently produce: thinking, leadership, enterprise and digital technology.
Why a ten-year programme?
Capability transformation at the level of individuals and of a nation takes time, consistency and an architecture that survives political and economic cycles. Short interventions rarely change outcomes at scale.
Where is TAP delivered?
TAP is designed for delivery across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, including through engagement with the National Youth Service Corps, with an international dimension through partners in the United Kingdom and the United States.
Participation and awards
Participation et distinctions
Who can take part?
Twelve pathways serve children, teenagers, unskilled and skilled youth, graduates, entrepreneurs at different stages and the Nigerian diaspora. Each pathway has its own entry point.
What does a participant receive?
Each pillar leads to a UNESCO REF Certificate of Proficiency. Candidates who attain Grade A in all four pillars are admitted to the SIP-ALPHA Capstone and may be awarded the Professional Diploma in Personal Reinvention and Transformation.
What is the role of ABE?
The Association of Business Executives partnered with UNESCO REF in the United Kingdom launch of TAP at Westminster, providing international benchmarking for the programme.
Partnership and the dossier
Partenariat et dossier
How can a State Government adopt TAP?
Through an expression of interest, the selection of pathways, a memorandum of understanding, delivery through accredited centres and partners, and reporting against the results framework, as set out in the National Deployment section of this page.
How can my institution request the full dossier?
Address an expression of interest to [email protected]. Requests proceed through accreditation, and UNESCO REF may grant, defer or decline any request at its sole discretion.
Where are the programme's results?
This public edition sets out the indicators TAP measures. Verified programme data are shared with accredited partners through the full programme dossier.
Sources Cited on This Page
Sources citées
- African Union Commission (2015). Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. Addis Ababa: African Union.
- African Union (2006). African Youth Charter. Banjul: African Union.
- African Union (2016). Continental Education Strategy for Africa 2016 to 2025. Addis Ababa: African Union.
- African Union (2024). Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, 2024 to 2033. Addis Ababa: African Union.
- Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (2019). National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020 to 2030. Abuja.
- National Bureau of Statistics (2022). Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index. Abuja: NBS.
- National Bureau of Statistics (2024). Nigeria Labour Force Survey, Q1 2024. Abuja: NBS.
- National Youth Service Corps Act, Cap N84, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
- Psacharopoulos, G. and Patrinos, H. A. (2018). Returns to investment in education: a decennial review of the global literature. Education Economics, 26(5), 445-458.
- UNICEF Nigeria. Education: out-of-school children in Nigeria.
- United Nations (2015). Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. General Assembly Resolution 70/1.
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.
- World Bank (2020). The Human Capital Index 2020 Update: Human Capital in the Time of COVID-19. Washington, DC.
- World Bank (2021). The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021: Managing Assets for the Future. Washington, DC.
- World Economic Forum (2025). The Future of Jobs Report 2025. Geneva.
- Blattman, C. and Ralston, L. (2015). Generating employment in poor and fragile states: evidence from labor market and entrepreneurship programs. Working paper, SSRN.
- Card, D., Kluve, J. and Weber, A. (2018). What works? A meta analysis of recent active labor market program evaluations. Journal of the European Economic Association, 16(3), 894-931.
- Kluve, J. and others (2019). Do youth employment programs improve labor market outcomes? A quantitative review. World Development, 114, 237-253.
- McKenzie, D. (2017). How effective are active labor market policies in developing countries? A critical review of recent evidence. The World Bank Research Observer, 32(2), 127-154.
- African Union (2018). Agreement Establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area. Kigali: African Union.
- UNESCO REF (2026). Beyond the Wellhead: Human Development and the Limits of Oil-Led Growth in Nigeria. TAP Paper No. 1.
- UNESCO REF (2026). Personal Reinvention and Transformation: A Theory of Self-Renewal for a Changing World of Work. TAP Paper No. 2.
- African Development Bank (2016). Jobs for Youth in Africa: Strategy for Creating 25 Million Jobs and Increasing Inclusive Employment for 50 Million Youth, 2016 to 2025. Abidjan: AfDB.
- International Labour Organization (2024). Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024: Decent Work, Brighter Futures. Geneva: ILO.
- UNESCO (2022). Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 2022 to 2029. Paris: UNESCO.
- United Nations (2018). Youth2030: The United Nations Youth Strategy. New York: United Nations.
- OECD Development Assistance Committee (2019). Better Criteria for Better Evaluation: Revised Evaluation Criteria. Paris: OECD.
Fifty-four nations, one standard of capability
Cinquante-quatre nations, une seule norme de compétence
Launched in Nigeria in 2017 and in the United Kingdom in 2019, The August Project enters its tenth year in 2027 as a continental programme. UNESCO REF invites Governments, the institutions of the European Union, the United Nations system, development banks and foundations to take part in preparing a generation of Africans for the world of work.
ProgrammeThe August Project, UNESCO REF SIP-ALPHA, Category 5