By Ayomide Otitoju
Union Chrétienne de Jeunes Gens Togo (YMCA Togo) in partnership with Boeing [NYSE: BA] has provided entrepreneurship training to 738 high school students in Togo through the Junior Achievement (JA) Company Program.
The initiative encouraged participants to develop business ideas addressing sustainability challenges in their communities. The program included modules on problem identification, creativity, market research, business model design, financial management, marketing, pitching, and sustainable business operations, equipping students with practical skills to start and manage their own ventures responsibly.
“In Africa, young people have the ideas and energy to drive meaningful change,” said Henok Teferra Shawl, Boeing managing director for Africa. “Our partnership with JA Africa has helped over 5,000 youth unlock their potential. In Togo alone, 45 student-led small businesses were launched, creating local economic opportunities.”
The program concluded with a national youth entrepreneurship competition on March 14 in LoméVincent Supparayen, Director of Strategy and Development for non-Anglophone Africa at Junior Achievement Africa, said the program helps young people see themselves as value creators and community changemakers.
Dodji Kevin Fiashinou, national president of YMCA Togo, added that the initiative empowers youth to transform their communities, strengthen local economies, and foster sustainable development.
Since 2021, JA Africa and Boeing have partnered across multiple countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and now Togo, producing alumni who have successfully launched businesses and created jobs.
The program addresses critical youth employment challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa, where young people face higher rates of unemployment and underemployment, and in Togo, where limited formal jobs have driven irregular migration, according to the International Labor Organization and the World Bank.
