Seeking to fundamentally transform how young Africans engage with enterprise and technology, the Catch Them Young Entrepreneurship Education Foundation (CTYEEF) officially launched in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, November 13, 2026, setting a bold target to equip 10 million children across Nigeria and the wider continent with practical entrepreneurship, vocational, and digital skills by 2040.
Delivering the inaugural statement on behalf of the organisation, Unachukwu Nkolika, Programme Coordinator emphasized that the foundation’s core mission is to bridge the widening gap between traditional academic certification and practical wealth creation by instilling an entrepreneurial mindset at an early age.
“Entrepreneurship is a mindset, and it should be formed early. It should not wait until adulthood,” Mrs. Nkolika stated. “A child who learns to save, to spot a need, to make something useful, and to use technology productively will not wait for a job. That child will grow up to create jobs.”
Registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in 2025 and backed by approvals from the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, CTYEEF is positioning itself as a strategic implementation partner to government bodies, including State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs).
Rather than operating parallel programmes, the foundation is designed to directly support the Federal Government’s newly overhauled basic education curriculum, which places strong emphasis on pre-vocational studies and digital literacy.
Crucially, the foundation is moving past mere policy rhetoric into immediate execution. The launch event underscored that the pilot phase is already underway, reaching approximately 750 pupils across 14 public schools in three Lagos State local government areas: Ikeja, Eti-Osa, and Ajeromi-Ifelodun.
This initial rollout—backed by a N20,250,000 investment sponsored by Anthony Anenechukwu of Glowfield International Group of Schools to mark his 50th birthday, provides 1,500 textbooks and workbooks in Pre-Vocational Studies and Digital Literacy, alongside integrated digital learning tools and dedicated teacher training.
Furthermore, the initiative is carried out under the active supervision of the Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), with subsequent expansions already approved for 10 primary schools in Anambra State.
The foundation’s curriculum support aligns with the six core trade subjects introduced in secondary schools under the national educational reform: solar photovoltaic installation and maintenance, fashion design and garment making, livestock farming, beauty and cosmetology, computer hardware and GSM repairs, and horticulture and crop production.
To ensure high standards, CTYEEF has partnered with Business Matters Incubation and Finishing School (BMI), whose NERDC-approved and ministry-ranked learning materials are specifically designed for “learning by doing.”
Emphasizing inclusivity, Nkolika noted that the initiative is built to reach underserved demographics, including public school students, out-of-school children, rural communities, and learners with disabilities.
As CTYEEF scales its model school-by-school across Nigeria, the foundation has issued an open call to corporate bodies, successful entrepreneurs, development partners, and the diaspora to adopt schools, sponsor learning kits, and invest in the future of Africa’s youngest demographic.
Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers.
She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay.
She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos.
As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender.
She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies.
Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the
prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the ‘Aviation Writer of the Year’ Category.
She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category.
She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations.
Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.
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