The Future Project (TFP) is a Nigerian social enterprise that aims to inspire leadership and create economic opportunities for youth. It uses media and training programs to build capacity and address social issues. TFP was founded in 2005 and has trained over 500 youth, securing jobs for 20% of trainees. Its programs, like the Future Nigeria Awards, engage thousands of youth across Nigeria. TFP also provides consulting services to help companies implement effective corporate social responsibility programs.

1. An Introduction

2. VALUE PROPOSITION Inspiring leadership and building enterprise especially within the Nigerian youth population using Media4Development as a primary tool – in order to build capacity and create economic opportunities.

3. ABOUT US The FutureProject (TFP) is a social enterprise/development consultancy affiliated to Red Mediawith a two-fold mission to Inspire Leadership and Build Enterprise, and a keen interest in Active Citizenship – all with a focus on youth development.

4. ABOUT USIt is also committed to using the media (traditional/new) to find effective and innovative ways of addressing social issues with its unique Media4Development Model that is now studied and implemented by national and international organisations.

5. ABOUT USFounded in 2005, it has become one of West Africa’s most respected private sector-driven development platforms with a history of verifiable impact, including in under-priviledged and grassroots communities.

6. Nigeria faces a crisis of governance and opportunities. This creates considerable challenges for its young people especially with regard to opportunities to contribute to development.

7. In 2003, unemployment rates in the country averaged at 10 per cent according to figures from the Nigeria Bureau of Statics, and affirmed by documents including the European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences – Issue 11. 10%

8. Taken together with figures from the World Bank, this puts youth unemployment (especially within the 18 – 35 bracket) as high as 70 per cent.70%

9. This creates a continuing crisis for the youth population and required broad-basedstrategies to engage the resulting problems.

10. OUR STRATEGY We empower the Nigerian youth in practical ways – through the various trainings, workshops, seminars, trainings, symposia, conferences, internships, town halls, mentorship programmes and networking opportunities, using these media-driven tools to build capacity and create economic and leadership opportunities.

11. OUR STRATEGYTowards this end, our programmes are structured after curriculums and models used globally and actualised through a wide network of national and international partners.

12. HOW WE WORKTFP functions as an umbrella of development projects/programmes that seeks to empower young people and re-direct them towards adding value to themselves and society with strong, positive messages of hope and practical change. Its flagship project is The Future Nigeria Awards, which is reputed as Nigeria’s most influential youth platform – straddling youth culture and youth development.

13. HOW WE WORK Other projects under TFP include the “Do Something” National Youth Conference, The Future School Seminars, The Future Enterprise Support Scheme, The Future Town Hall Meetings, , The Future TakeAction, The Young Writers Network, The Future Mentorship Scheme, The Future Volunteers Programme, The Future Polls/Research, This is the Future! book, The Youth Crisis Centre, #ProtectTheCorperswith the ultimate goal of setting up The Future Youth Opportunity Centre and The Future Foundation.

14. HOW WE WORK Finally, we function as a resource organisation for clients, mostly corporates, who are keen to develop their corporate social responsibility arms (CSR) in ways that will be effective. Because of our unique experience working in the grassroots/community levels while maintaining high-level government and international engagement, we are able to advise, structure and implement CSR strategies for companies that will convince and ‘convert’ their target markets. Our focus is on making sure that company CSR budgets are not wasted, but actually make real, tangible social impact and lead to sustainable growth for targets and goodwill for the brands.

15. HOW WE WORK This works in terms of us being contracted as consultants, advisors, project to project managers or serving as members of relevant teams and boards to implement particular strategy or projects/activities, including NeedsAssessment and Research, ImpactAssessment, ImpactDocumentation, Training and Compliance. Clients engaging us towards these also benefit from our wide range of external consultants and partners, with key experience at management levels in the country’s most successful corporates.

16. HOW WE WORKWe have also become a major resource for organisations such as the United States Government’s Public Affairs Section, the Nigerian Presidency, and the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (affiliated to the Aspen ), and the Ministry of Youth Development which use TFP as a youth resource partner to identify young Nigerian leaders for various development and empowerment projects and opportunities.

17. HOW WE WORK We have consulted for and partnered with government and international institutions and structures that are crucial to development, especially as they concern the youth population including the Africa Union, the World Bank, the Nigerian Presidency, the Nigerian Ministries of Education and Youth with alliances ranging from Project Resource support, endorsements to work with the Nigerian School System, Youth Meetings and Institutional Backing to engage youth/developmentnetworks and groups across the country.

18. HOW WE WORKTFP has been selected for the US Government’s International Visitors Leadership Programme (IVLP), for the British Council’s World Changemakers Forum /World Economic Forum on Africa, and as observers at the 3rd Ordinary Session of the Conference of the African Union Ministers in charge of Youth (COMY III) in Zimbabwe. It has also worked with the AU’s Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology on the African Union Youth Volunteer Corps.

19. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011) Trained over 500 youth in entrepreneurship with an emphasis on new and emerging industries over a period of 2009 – 2011 through The Future Enterprise Support Scheme.

20. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)Secured employment for at least 20 percent of its trainees, especially in the creative industries, with an average income of $300 monthly.

21. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)Secured expansion and platform options for entrepreneur and other winners/nominees with the US Government, the Africa Union, the Nigerian Ministries of Education and Information, and the International Finance Corporation.

22. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)Engaged over 20, 000 young people across 10 Nigerian states through the Pre-Award town hall meetings.

23. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011) Engaged over 7000 young people in Lagos through the Do Something Conference & Mentorship session in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

24. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)Shared the stories of its winners through a national publication with 10, 000 copies and reaching approximately 50, 000 Nigerians.

25. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)Have reached a combined audience of over 20, 000, 000 through national and international media partners (including the continental AfricaMagic and HiTV platforms).

26. IMPACT PROFILE (AS AT JULY 2011)The 2010 Keynote Address (given by NgoziOkonjo-Iweala) directly led to the establishment of Nigeria’s popular youth political advocacy platform EnoughisEnough Nigeria, and the popular RSVP (Register/Select/Vote/Protect) election campaign. That model is now being replicated in Kenya and Senegal.

27. LONG TERM TFPis now poised, after direct engagement with development and youth organisations in countries like Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia and South Africa, to take its message and its development model to other African countries.

28. LONG TERMTFP has a 2025 medium-term target for the present cadre of young people to be able and equipped to take charge of crucial sectors of the country’s economy and polity.