The Next Economy
Program engaged young people in Nigeria, Mali, Somalia and Somaliland, with a mission to unlock their potential, build their confidence and equip them with the essential skills required for successful careers or entrepreneurial ventures. The program ran from 2016 to 2023 and was developed and executed with diverse local partners and a consortium of partners in the Netherlands, and funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This website is a celebration of our collaborative efforts and aims to showcase the successes of our youth community, TNE’s holistic model and approach, and insights harvested over eight years of impactful activities.
Program
The Next Economy responded to the diverse goals of young African job seekers, guiding them toward careers in employment or entrepreneurship. Over 6-months, participants were immersed in a deeply contextualized learning environment combining practical training and real-world opportunities, developed in collaboration with local partners.
Self-Determined Career Pathway
Participants chose career tracks based on their aspirations & interests—either entrepreneurship or employment
Holistic Skills Development
Core Life Skills & specialized entrepreneurship or employment training & support honed critical thinking skills, problem-solving experience & communications expertise.
Practical Experience and Opportunities
Job and business fairs, pitch events & internships provided hands-on experience, networking opportunities and real-world exposure.
Community and Network Building
Engagement with peers, alumni, coaches, potential employers & investors enhanced networks & support systems for participants.
Innovative Financing
Crowdfunding campaigns and incubation support helped aspiring entrepreneurs to kickstart their business ventures with seed funding & skills needed to start their businesses.
Success Stories
Fashion Journey of Success: Kyimyaýah Atelier
Fashion Journey of Success: Kyimyaýah Atelier
Merging Agricultural Passion and Digital Marketing: Vincent’s Journey
Merging Agricultural Passion and Digital Marketing: Vincent’s Journey
Transforming Challenges into Success: Rita’s Journey with Valiant Confectioneires
Transforming Challenges into Success: Rita’s Journey with Valiant Confectioneires
Innovating Against Unemployment: Osman's Story of Success
Innovating Against Unemployment: Osman's Story of Success
Crowdfunding Helped Me Kick-Start My Business: Mohamed’s Journey with Billan Canteen
Crowdfunding Helped Me Kick-Start My Business: Mohamed’s Journey with Billan Canteen
Overcoming Challenges to Achieve a Logistics Career: Mubarak’s Story
Overcoming Challenges to Achieve a Logistics Career: Mubarak’s Story
Gender Inclusivity
Young women encounter greater challenges in securing employment and succeeding in business. To address this inequity, TNE incorporated a range of strategies to make sure that participants, project staff, and businesses were better equipped to support young women participants’ transitions to work and business. These initiatives helped raise awareness of the issues that women face, and supported organizations to solve them.
Resources
Unlock the potential of young entrepreneurs and job seekers with TNE’s curated learning resources. Built on extensive program experience, these curated resources offer a blend of active learning techniques, gender-sensitive approaches, and practical tools. We welcome you to read and download them.