Left to right-: The Managing Director, Del-York Creative Academy, Ms Stella Fubara; Chief Operating Officer, Del-York Creative Academy, Mr. Ikenna Ogweike; Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Dr Engr Ibraheem Abdul; and representative of the Registrar, Yabatech, Barrister S.K.B. Wahab at the signing of Memorandum of Understanding on the empowerment of the college students in Digital Creativity held at Del-York Headquarters Board Room, Victoria Island, Lagos
Initiatives Del-York Creative Academy, an arm of Dell Group, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to empower 10,000 students of Yaba College of Technology in digital creativity, animation and post-production initiative.
The partnership, signed in the boardroom of Del York office at Victoria Island in Lagos, is aimed at bridging the gap between technical education and global creative industry demands.
Also, it aims to expand opportunities for Nigerian youths in digital creativity, animation and post-production.
The project, championed under its Youths in Animation and Post-Production Initiative (YAPPI), is supported by the MasterCard Foundation.
Speaking at the signing of the MoU, the Chief Operating Officer of Del-York Group and YAPPI Program Lead, Mr. Ikenna Ogweike, disclosed that YAPPI is more than just a training programme; but designed as a pipeline to create a generation of African talents that can compete in global markets.
He noted that Africa has long been a consumer of global creative content, but is seldom a major player in its production.
According to him, “Our stories have been told to us by others like in the case of Black Panther’s Wakanda, but not built by Africans.”
He said that YAPPI is set to change this narrative.
In his words,, “With Nigeria currently contributing less than two percent to the global animation market, the program sees itself as a catalyst to shift that statistic, transforming the nation into a digital outsourcing hub comparable to India’s success in IT and business process outsourcing; launched with the bold target of training 60,000 young people within five years.”
He said that the program has created pathways for mentorship and employment, intentionally linking graduates to job placements, freelance opportunities, and international collaborations.
Ogweike said, “We are not just training them and leaving them on their own, but preparing them for the global job market” and can access single-digit interest loans at First City Monumental Bank (FCMB) to launch startups and creative ventures – a rare opportunity in a financial climate where rates often hover near 30 percent.”
He said that the broader vision is to embed programs like YAPPI within higher institutions such as Yaba College of Technology.
It is also to ensure that future generations grow up with the skills, confidence, and global mindset to compete anywhere in the world.
In his words, “Nigeria’s creative industry is undergoing a quiet revolution – and at the heart of it lies YAPPI, an ambitious program poised to place young Nigerians at the center of the $600 billion global animation and content creation market.”
He said, “Born out of a partnership between Del-York Group’s Del-York Creative Academy and the MasterCard Foundation, YAPPI is a movement designed to bridge the gap between African talent and the global digital economy.
“It also aims at empowering youths with the tools, skills, and opportunities to tell Africa’s stories in Africa’s voice.”
In his address, the rector, of Yaba College of Technology, Dr. Engr. Ibraheem Abdul, stated that the collaboration represents a major step forward in the college mission to prepare its students not just for local relevance, but for participation in a highly competitive global economy.
He said, “Our vision has always been to combine technical expertise with creative innovation.
“This partnership is about equipping young people with skills that guarantee employability and also position them as creators and entrepreneurs in the digital space.
“Yabatech history, as Nigeria’s first higher institution, places it in a unique position to lead in this sector.”
Abdul noted that the collaboration came “when the institution is actively pursuing international linkages to boost research, technical training and innovation, and to leverage its strong manpower base, vibrant student population and institutional credibility to maximize the impact of the programme.”
On his own, the institution’s Director, Centre for Linkages, Partnership and International Relations (CLPIR), Dr. Mosud Ajala, who facilitated the partnership, said the initiative will empower 10,000 students of the college, especially women, with no-cost creative-technical training.
The programme, he said, focuses on digital art, animation, post-production, and content creation, equipping students with global-standard creative and entrepreneurial skills.
He added that the MoU reflects the institution’s commitment to empowering her students with future-ready creative-tech skills.
According to him, “By training 10,000 of them, especially ladies, with globally relevant creative -tech skills, we are not only preparing them for the future of work but also positioning the college as a leader in innovative industry – academia collaboration.”
Ajala acknowledged YAPPI’s recorded remarkable successes and its poise to train 60,000 young Nigerians over five years, with a strong focus on women and persons with disabilities which combines online and on-site training with mentorship, industry placements and access to global job opportunities.
