The partnership will pilot The VOICE Initiative in Osun, making it the first state in Nigeria to adopt the programme aimed at promoting the economic empowerment of women with disabilities.
The Osun State Government has partnered with the Read and Earn Federation for UNESCO (UNESCO-REF) to equip women with disabilities with digital skills and expand their access to decent, dignified and financially sustainable employment opportunities.
The President of UNESCO-REF, Prince Abdulsalami Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, describing the partnership as a significant step towards bridging the digital and economic inclusion gap faced by women with disabilities.
According to him, the collaboration will pilot The VOICE Initiative in Osun State, making it the first sub-national government in Nigeria to adopt the professional advancement programme.
The first phase of the initiative will target 64 women with disabilities, with an additional cohort expected to benefit in subsequent phases.
Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan explained that the programme goes beyond digital skills acquisition, noting that its broader objective is to tackle economic exclusion, promote financial independence and improve the welfare and educational opportunities of beneficiaries’ children.
“This programme is about two generations, through one intervention. When we equip a mother with a disability to earn a dignified income, we protect the schooling of her children.
“Our parents and our out-of-school children are not two separate challenges. They are one story, and The VOICE Initiative addresses both at once,” he said.
He commended the Osun State Government for embracing the programme, describing the state’s decision as a model that other states should emulate.
“Osun State has shown the courage to lead, and in doing so, it has become the model for every other State of the Federation,” he added.
Training to Focus on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Enterprise
The UNESCO-REF President disclosed that data verification for the first cohort would commence on October 21, followed by a virtual orientation, a three-week induction programme and a six-week intensive training.
The first course, AI Innovation and Digital Enterprise, will be delivered online through The Lichfield Academy.
The course comprises 78 lessons and is open to women with disabilities aged 18 and above who possess a first degree or its equivalent in any discipline.
He clarified that applicants do not need previous experience in technology to participate, stressing that the programme is structured to accommodate beneficiaries from different academic and professional backgrounds.
According to him, the ultimate goal is to equip every graduate with the competencies required to secure remote employment opportunities within and outside Nigeria.
UNESCO-REF to Fully Fund the Programme
Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan stated that UNESCO-REF would fully finance the training through its Educational Financial Facility Scheme, ensuring that the programme comes at no cost to either the Osun State Government or the Federal Government.
He also highlighted the potential economic benefits of the initiative, including increased personal income tax contributions, value-added tax revenue, local spending and improved productivity.
The initiative, he noted, aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those relating to gender equality, quality education, decent work and economic growth, and reduced inequalities.
It is also consistent with the provisions of Nigeria’s Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, which provides a legal framework for protecting the rights and promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities.
Ambitious Four-Year Expansion Across Africa
The Osun pilot represents the first phase of an ambitious four-year programme scheduled to run from 2026 to 2030.
According to Ladigbolu-Oranmiyan, UNESCO-REF plans to expand the initiative across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones in 2027, targeting 120,000 women with disabilities, with 20,000 beneficiaries expected from each zone.
The programme is expected to extend to member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2028 before reaching all 54 African countries by 2030.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that The VOICE Initiative, an acronym for Visionary, Outcomes-Driven AI for Inclusion, Capacity for Empowerment, was launched on October 1, 2026, to advance the participation and economic inclusion of women with disabilities in the digital economy.
The initiative represents an emerging opportunity to address the barriers that have historically limited women with disabilities’ access to education, technology and employment, while positioning them as active contributors to Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
