The Ford Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation have announced the $5 million launch of the Nigeria Youth Futures Fund (NYFF).

Seeded with $3 million from the Ford Foundation and $2 million from the MacArthur Foundation, the five-year fund intends to raise an additional $15 million. Managed and operated by Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability & Professionalism (LEAP) Africa, the fund is focused on increasing leadership capacity, enhancing educational opportunities, and building relationships between youth leaders and regional governments across Nigeria. To that end, NYFF aims to convene an Imaginative Futures Working Group of young people ages 35 and younger at the national and state levels to explore and discuss visions, challenges, and opportunities for Nigeria in 2025, 2030, and 2050 as part of official government vision strategy efforts; support  hubs of innovation to advance the development of ideas including economic, civic, and social enterprises by and for young people; create a fund that will provide small to midsize action grants for young activists and anchor organizations at national and sub-national levels; and enable young people to take advantage of social and economic opportunities provided by governments and international agencies through an online portal.

"Young people hold a world of promise, and it is strategically imperative that a country like Nigeria has leaders ensuring the delivery or actualization of this promise. Our role in youth development is creating platforms, opportunities, and room to ensure that young people and their agencies are well supported. Amidst the numerous challenges that the Nigeria youth ecosystem has faced — especially in the wake of the pandemic — we remain committed to advancing the inclusion of youth voice, abilities, and agency," said LEAP Africa executive director Femi Taiwo. "We are leveraging our nineteen years of experience working with Nigerian youth and our multi-sectoral convening power, to build a stronger and more resilient youth ecosystem that will decisively contribute to the long-term development plans of Nigeria."