Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF today launched Links2Work, a youth empowerment initiative under the Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA) platform that provides zero-rated access to critical digital learning platforms—meaning young Nigerians can access education, skills training, and employment opportunities without incurring data costs.
The three-year program targets young women aged 18-24 in Nigeria and Kenya, offering mentorship, digital skills development, and paid work opportunities with a focus on digital and green economy sectors. Through partnerships with mobile operators like Airtel, the initiative removes the single biggest barrier preventing millions of African youth from accessing online education: the cost of internet data.
For context, this matters enormously. Nigeria has over 20 million out-of-school children—the highest number globally. Youth unemployment hovers near 40%. And while digital platforms like the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) and YOMA (Youth Agency Marketplace) offer world-class educational content, the majority of young Nigerians—particularly in rural areas and low-income communities—can’t afford the data to access them.
Links2Work changes that equation. By zero-rating key platforms, Airtel enables any young Nigerian with a phone to access learning content, complete skills assessments, connect to mentorship networks, and apply for jobs—all without worrying whether they have enough airtime.
The announcement comes as GenU 9JA enters an ambitious expansion phase, targeting support for 2.5 million additional youth in 2026 after impacting over 11 million young Nigerians since its 2021 launch. Airtel’s Links2Work partnership represents a critical infrastructure layer enabling that scale.
What Is Links2Work? The Program Structure
Links2Work operates as a specialized track within the broader Generation Unlimited Nigeria ecosystem, combining zero-rated data access with targeted programming for young women.
The Core Components
1. Zero-Rated Platform Access
Airtel Nigeria provides free data access to:
- Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP): Digital learning platform with 15,000+ curriculum-aligned resources covering Mathematics, Science, English, Social Studies, and more. Currently serves over 1 million registered users with content available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. The platform offers online, mobile, and offline access, ensuring learners in areas with limited connectivity can download content for later study.
- YOMA (Youth Agency Marketplace): A digital platform connecting youth to skills development, livelihood opportunities, and civic engagement. Over 400,000 Nigerian youth currently use YOMA to complete skills assessments, access training modules, connect with employers, and participate in youth-led initiatives. The platform gamifies learning through badges, certifications, and rewards that translate into real employment opportunities.
- Federal Ministry of Education Learning Platforms: Four additional FME platforms providing supplementary educational resources aligned with Nigeria’s national curriculum.
Zero-rating means Airtel subscribers accessing these platforms don’t consume their data bundles—the content is free to access regardless of whether users have airtime or active data plans. For young Nigerians earning ₦30,000-50,000 monthly ($20-35 USD), this eliminates a major financial barrier.
2. The Three-Year Links2Work Programme
Specifically targeting young women aged 18-24 in Nigeria and Kenya, Links2Work provides:
- Mentorship: Pairing participants with industry professionals, entrepreneurs, and career coaches who provide guidance on career development, business planning, and professional skills
- Skills Development: Focused training in digital economy sectors (software development, digital marketing, data analysis, graphic design) and green economy sectors (renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy, climate adaptation)
- Paid Work Opportunities: Connecting trained participants to internships, contract work, and employment with private sector partners across digital and green industries
- Support Systems: Peer networks, community engagement, and psychosocial support addressing the unique challenges young women face in workforce entry
The gender focus is deliberate. Young women in Nigeria face significantly higher unemployment rates than men, encounter discrimination in hiring, and often lack networks providing access to career opportunities. Links2Work creates structured pathways specifically designed for young women’s needs.
3. Strategic Sector Focus: Digital and Green
The program concentrates on two high-growth sectors where Nigeria needs talent:
Digital Economy:
- Software development and coding
- Digital marketing and e-commerce
- Data analysis and business intelligence
- Graphic design and content creation
- Cybersecurity and IT support
- Fintech operations and digital financial services
Green Economy:
- Renewable energy installation and maintenance
- Sustainable agriculture and agritech
- Waste management and circular economy
- Climate adaptation and resilience
- Environmental monitoring and conservation
- Green building and eco-friendly manufacturing
Both sectors are experiencing explosive growth in Nigeria—fintech alone raised over $1.2 billion between 2023-2025—but face severe talent shortages. Links2Work aims to build the workforce these industries need while creating employment pathways for young women.
The Strategic Context: Why This Matters Now
Links2Work arrives at an inflection point for Nigerian youth unemployment and digital access.
1. The Youth Employment Crisis
Nigeria’s demographic profile creates both opportunity and crisis:
- 70% of Nigeria’s 220 million population is under 30—an enormous youth bulge
- 40% youth unemployment rate—meaning millions of educated young people can’t find work
- 20+ million out-of-school children—the highest number globally, concentrated in Northern states
- 1.8 million young Nigerians enter the job market annually—but the economy creates only 300,000 formal jobs
Traditional pathways aren’t working. University degrees don’t guarantee employment. Apprenticeships in trades are limited. Government hiring has stagnated. The disconnect between educational attainment and employment outcomes is widening.
Digital skills training offers an alternative. Global demand for software developers, digital marketers, and data analysts exceeds supply—and these jobs can be performed remotely, allowing Nigerian talent to access international opportunities without emigrating.
But access to digital training requires internet connectivity and data—precisely what Links2Work provides.
2. The Data Cost Barrier
Internet penetration in Nigeria sits around 55%—meaning 100+ million Nigerians lack internet access. Among those with access, data affordability remains the primary constraint.
The economics are brutal:
- 1GB of data costs ₦500-1,000 ($0.35-0.70 USD)—expensive relative to average incomes
- Watching one hour of educational video consumes ~500MB
- Downloading course materials can require 2-5GB
- A meaningful online learning program requires 20-30GB monthly—costing ₦10,000-30,000 ($7-21 USD)
For young Nigerians earning ₦30,000-50,000 monthly, spending ₦15,000 on data is impossible. They ration data for essential communications, not education.
Zero-rating educational platforms removes this barrier entirely. Any young Nigerian with a basic smartphone can access NLP and YOMA unlimited—transforming educational access from “those who can afford data” to “anyone with a phone.”
3. The GenU 9JA Track Record
Links2Work builds on Generation Unlimited Nigeria’s proven success over four years:
Reach:
- Over 11 million young Nigerians impacted since 2021
- 255,000 youth provided mobile data and digital learning access in 2025
- 400,000+ youth connected through YOMA platform
- 20,000 young women acquired technical and digital skills
- 85,000+ youth received mentorship through Future-X Campus Ambassadors Programme
Infrastructure:
- 1,260 schools connected to internet through Airtel-UNICEF Reimagine Education Programme
- 1 million+ Nigeria Learning Passport subscribers
- Partnerships with Airtel, MTN, Microsoft, Cisco, Unilever, Jobberman, IHS Towers, and others
2026 Targets:
- Support 2.5 million additional youth with jobs, training, and entrepreneurship
- Scale YOMA from 400,000 to 2 million users
- Expand Green Rising to universities
- Offer grants to youth-led startups
This isn’t experimental—it’s scaling what works.
The Technology: How Zero-Rating Actually Works
Understanding the technical mechanics of zero-rating explains why this matters.
What Is Zero-Rating?
Zero-rating is a network management practice where mobile operators exclude specific services or platforms from data caps. When users access zero-rated content, their data consumption isn’t deducted from their data allowance.
In practice:
- Without zero-rating: Accessing NLP consumes user’s data bundle; when data exhausted, access stops
- With zero-rating: Accessing NLP doesn’t consume data; users with zero data balance can still access platform
The Implementation
Airtel Nigeria’s network infrastructure identifies traffic to zero-rated platforms (NLP, YOMA, FME platforms) and routes it through dedicated channels that bypass data metering systems. Technically, this requires:
- Platform Whitelisting: Airtel adds NLP and YOMA domains to network whitelist
- Traffic Classification: Deep packet inspection identifies traffic destined for whitelisted platforms
- Billing Exemption: Network billing systems exclude whitelisted traffic from usage calculations
- Quality of Service: Maintaining service quality despite exempting revenue-generating traffic
The Business Model
Why would Airtel provide free data access, forgoing potential revenue?
1. Corporate Social Responsibility: Aligns with Airtel Africa’s sustainability commitments and ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) priorities. CEO Carl Cruz emphasized “Airtel is proud to ensure no young Nigerian is left behind in this digital age”.
2. Brand Positioning: Associates Airtel with youth empowerment and digital inclusion—powerful marketing among Nigeria’s young, digitally-native population.
3. Network Utilization: Educational content access often occurs during off-peak hours (late evening, early morning) when network capacity is underutilized. Zero-rating converts unused capacity into social impact.
4. Future Customer Development: Young Nigerians accessing free educational content become skilled workers with higher incomes, eventually becoming valuable data customers. Short-term revenue sacrifice for long-term customer development.
5. Competitive Differentiation: Distinguishes Airtel from competitors MTN, Glo, and 9mobile in increasingly commoditized telecommunications market.
Airtel committed $1.3 million in complimentary data for NLP and YOMA platforms in the first year alone of the broader Reimagine Education partnership—demonstrating material financial commitment, not token gesture.
The Platforms: What Students Actually Access
The value of Links2Work depends entirely on the quality of platforms it unlocks. Both NLP and YOMA represent world-class educational infrastructure.
Nigeria Learning Passport: 15,000+ Resources, 1M+ Users
Developed through collaboration between Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education, UNICEF, Microsoft, and the Global Partnership for Education, NLP provides:
Content:
- 15,000+ curriculum-aligned educational resources
- Interactive lessons, digital textbooks, self-paced learning modules
- Coverage: primary through secondary education (Primary 1-6, Junior Secondary 1-3, Senior Secondary 1-3)
- Core subjects: Mathematics, Science, English, Social Studies
- Available in English, Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba
Accessibility:
- Online access via web browser
- Mobile app for Android and iOS
- Offline capability allowing content download for later study without connectivity
- Free to use platform
Reach:
- 1 million+ registered subscribers as of June 2024
- Registrations increased from 117,585 in 2022 to over 750,000 in 2023
- 40,000+ teachers trained on using the platform
Impact: Field visits to Sokoto state demonstrated NLP’s effectiveness in supplementing traditional teaching with interactive digital content. Teachers reported improved ability to deliver standardized content, while the platform’s personalized learning features helped address individual student needs.
YOMA: Connecting Skills to Opportunities
YOMA operates as a digital marketplace connecting youth to skills development, employment, and civic engagement opportunities:
Core Functions:
- Skills Assessments: Diagnostic tests identifying existing skills and knowledge gaps
- Training Modules: Micro-credentials and certifications in digital skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy
- Opportunity Matching: Connecting skilled youth to internships, jobs, and freelance opportunities
- Gamification: Badges, points, and rewards incentivizing completion of training and engagement
- Youth Networks: Peer communities enabling collaboration, mentorship, and knowledge sharing
Current Scale:
- 400,000+ youth connected to skills development, livelihood, and empowerment opportunities
- Target: Scale from 400,000 to 2 million users in 2026
Strategic Value: YOMA bridges the “last mile” between skills acquisition and employment. Many young Nigerians complete training programs but can’t find employers. YOMA’s marketplace model directly connects trained youth to companies seeking talent—reducing friction that kills traditional workforce development programs.
The Gender Lens: Why Focus on Young Women?
Links2Work’s specific targeting of young women aged 18-24 reflects data-driven analysis of Nigeria’s labor market.
The Employment Gender Gap
Young Nigerian women face compounding disadvantages:
- Higher unemployment: 43.5% for young women vs. 36.4% for young men
- Informal sector concentration: 80% of employed women work in informal economy without benefits or protections
- Wage gaps: Women earn on average 30-40% less than men in equivalent roles
- Occupational segregation: Women concentrated in low-skill, low-wage sectors (domestic work, petty trading, agricultural labor)
The Education-Employment Disconnect
Paradoxically, young Nigerian women often have higher educational attainment than men in their cohort—but face worse employment outcomes. University-educated women experience unemployment rates nearly identical to women with only a primary education.
This suggests the barrier isn’t education credentials but access to networks, mentorship, and sector-specific skills that connect education to employment.
The Digital Skills Opportunity
Digital economy jobs offer unique advantages for young women:
1. Remote Work Compatibility: Reduces transportation costs, safety concerns, and childcare challenges 2. Meritocratic Hiring: Technical skills demonstrations (coding portfolios, design samples) reduce bias compared to traditional interviews 3. Flexible Hours: Freelance and contract work accommodates family responsibilities 4. International Access: Nigerian women can compete for global remote roles without geographic constraints
Links2Work’s focus on digital and green sectors strategically targets industries where gender barriers are lower and growth opportunities highest.
The Mentorship Component
Perhaps Links2Work’s most valuable element is mentorship pairing—connecting participants with industry professionals who provide:
- Career guidance: Navigating industry-specific pathways and progression
- Skill development: Identifying which technical competencies matter most for specific roles
- Network access: Introductions to hiring managers, recruiters, and industry communities
- Psychosocial support: Building confidence, managing impostor syndrome, overcoming cultural barriers
For young women from low-income backgrounds, mentor relationships often provide the first professional connection in their network—opening doors that remain invisible without personal introduction.
The Partnership Ecosystem: Beyond Airtel and UNICEF
Links2Work operates within GenU 9JA’s broader Public-Private-Youth Partnership (PPYP) platform involving dozens of organizations:
Government Partners
- Office of the Vice President: Co-chairs GenU 9JA Steering Committee, institutionalizing the initiative under official government structures
- Federal Ministry of Education: Develops and maintains NLP curriculum content
- State Governments: Implement programs at the state level, connect schools to the internet
Private Sector Partners
- Tony Elumelu Foundation: Co-chairs Steering Committee; provides entrepreneurship training, mentorship, and seed capital through TEF Entrepreneurship Programme
- MTN Nigeria: Provides data services and connectivity infrastructure
- Microsoft: Technology infrastructure powering NLP platform
- Cisco: Networking skills training and certification programs
- Jobberman: Nigeria’s largest job platform; connects trained youth to employers
- Unilever: Corporate employer providing internships and entry-level positions
- IHS Towers: Telecommunications infrastructure; funded teacher training on NLP in multiple states
Development Partners
- USAID: Funding for skills development programs
- World Bank: Technical assistance and program evaluation
- African Development Bank: Financial support for youth employment initiatives
- Global Partnership for Education: Funded NLP setup, state technical teams, teacher capacity building, and device supply
Youth Leadership
Shamiyah Umar, member of UNICEF Young People’s Action Team (YPAT) and founder of We Are Special Foundation, stated: “Being part of UNICEF GenU 9JA has allowed me to make a meaningful difference in my community and positively impact the lives of people with disabilities. At GenU 9JA, young people are not just participants, we are leaders shaping the future we want”.
The PPYP model ensures youth aren’t passive beneficiaries but active co-designers of programs meant to serve them.
The Execution Challenges: What Could Go Wrong
For all its promise, Links2Work faces significant implementation hurdles.
1. Infrastructure Gaps
Zero-rated access only helps youth who already have:
- Smartphones: ~40% of Nigerian youth lack smartphones capable of accessing NLP/YOMA
- Basic Literacy: Platform content assumes functional literacy in English or local languages
- Electricity: Devices require charging; 85+ million Nigerians lack electricity access
Links2Work must coordinate with device distribution programs, literacy initiatives, and energy access projects to reach those most excluded.
2. Content Relevance
NLP’s curriculum-aligned content serves students currently in school. But Links2Work targets 18-24 year-olds—many of whom left school years ago. Does academic content (Mathematics, Science) translate to employable skills (coding, digital marketing)?
YOMA’s skills-focused training addresses this gap, but the platform is still scaling. Expanding practical, work-ready content must keep pace with user growth.
3. Quality Assurance
Rapid scaling risks quality degradation:
- Mentorship matching: Pairing 250,000 young women with qualified mentors requires robust matching algorithms, mentor training, and relationship management
- Skills verification: Employers need confidence that YOMA certifications represent genuine competence, not just platform completion
- Outcome tracking: Measuring employment outcomes requires longitudinal data collection many programs fail to maintain
4. Geographic Concentration
Nigeria’s connectivity infrastructure is concentrated in Lagos, Abuja, and other major cities. Northern states—where out-of-school children concentrate—have the weakest connectivity.
Links2Work must avoid the trap of serving already-connected urban youth while missing the rural, Northern populations facing the greatest exclusion.
5. Sustainability
Airtel’s zero-rating commitment has no disclosed end date. What happens if the company changes priorities, faces financial pressure, or decides the ROI doesn’t justify costs?
Building youth dependency on free platforms creates vulnerability if access suddenly becomes paid. GenU 9JA must plan for transition scenarios where users can afford market-rate data.
The Broader Implications: Digital Inclusion as Infrastructure
Links2Work represents a specific implementation of a broader principle: digital access is infrastructure, not luxury.
The Global Context
Zero-rating educational platforms isn’t new or unique to Nigeria:
- Wikipedia Zero: Wikimedia Foundation partnered with mobile operators globally to provide free Wikipedia access
- Facebook Free Basics: Offered zero-rated access to Facebook and select services (later controversial for net neutrality violations)
- Google Station: Provided free Wi-Fi in public spaces across India, Indonesia, and other markets (discontinued 2020)
What distinguishes Links2Work is government partnership and education focus. Unlike commercial platforms using zero-rating for customer acquisition, GenU 9JA positions it as public service delivering social outcomes.
The Net Neutrality Debate
Zero-rating raises net neutrality concerns: should internet providers treat all content equally, or can they privilege specific platforms?
Critics argue zero-rating:
- Distorts competition: Favored platforms gain an unfair advantage over competitors
- Creates gatekeepers: Operators decide which content is “worthy” of free access
- Limits innovation: Startups can’t compete if established players get preferential treatment
Defenders counter that in contexts where data costs prevent access entirely, some access beats no access. Young Nigerians can’t use platforms they can’t afford to reach—zero-rating educational content expands opportunity rather than restricting it.
Links2Work navigates this by focusing on non-commercial educational platforms (NLP is government-run, YOMA is UNICEF-managed) that don’t compete in typical market dynamics.
The Replication Potential
If Links2Work succeeds—if zero-rated access demonstrably improves educational outcomes, skills acquisition, and employment for Nigerian youth—expect replication:
- Kenya: Links2Work already includes Kenyan youth; MTN Kenya and Safaricom could implement similar models
- Ghana: Strong UNICEF presence and competitive telecom market create an enabling environment
- South Africa: High data costs and youth unemployment create similar needs
- Francophone Africa: Orange and MTN operate across French-speaking countries with identical challenges
The model isn’t Nigeria-specific. It’s a template for mobile-first educational access across the developing world.
The Timeline: What Happens Next
Links2Work launches in 2026 with clear milestones:
Q1 2026: Program Launch and Onboarding
- Zero-rated access to NLP and YOMA goes live for all Airtel Nigeria subscribers
- First cohort of 18-24 year-old women recruited for targeted programming
- Mentor matching process begins for Links2Work participants
Q2 2026: Skills Development Phase
- Intensive digital and green skills training modules launch on YOMA
- Mentorship pairings active with monthly check-ins and progress tracking
- Corporate partnerships finalized for internship placements
Q3 2026: Employment Connections
- First cohort completes training, receives certifications
- Job matching begins through YOMA marketplace and Jobberman
- Pilot internships and contract work opportunities deployed
Q4 2026: Evaluation and Iteration
- Impact assessment: employment outcomes, skill acquisition, platform usage
- Lessons learned inform 2027 programming adjustments
- Scale planning for additional cohorts
2027-2028: Scaling
- Expand to additional cohorts of young women
- Geographic expansion beyond initial pilot areas
- Potential replication in Kenya and other African markets
The Bottom Line
Airtel Nigeria and UNICEF’s Links2Work initiative tackles a fundamental barrier to youth employability: the cost of accessing digital education.
By zero-rating Nigeria Learning Passport, YOMA, and Federal Ministry platforms, Airtel enables millions of young Nigerians—particularly women aged 18-24—to access world-class educational content, complete skills training, connect with mentors, and find employment opportunities without data costs preventing participation.
The strategic focus on digital and green economy sectors targets high-growth industries where Nigeria desperately needs skilled workers. The gender lens addresses the reality that young women face systematically higher unemployment despite equal or greater educational attainment.
And the partnership ecosystem—involving government, private sector, development organizations, and youth leaders—creates the multi-stakeholder coordination required to move from small pilots to transformative scale.
For the 2.5 million youth GenU 9JA aims to support in 2026, Links2Work could be the difference between potential and opportunity. For young Nigerian women locked out of formal employment despite university degrees, it offers a pathway to digital economy jobs that don’t require connections, capital, or geographic proximity—just skills, determination, and internet access.
And for the first time, the internet access is free.
The data barrier is down. What young Nigerians do with that access will determine whether Links2Work becomes a footnote or a model for digital inclusion across the developing world.
The program launches in 2026. Check back in three years to see if it delivered on the promise.
