43 per cent of Nigerians (89 million people) live below the poverty line, while another 25 per cent (53 million) are vulnerable. According to a 2018 report by the World Bank, almost half the population is living below the international poverty line ($2 per day), unemployment peaked at 23.1%. Many citizens faced limited financial opportunities, extreme information poverty and unemployment, a lack of access to public services from education infrastructure, healthcare facilities, information technology resources, and other uniquely debilitating environmental circumstances such as poverty.
YAPD4Africa is a youth-led nonprofit and nongovernmental organization in Nigeria that seeks to empower and mobilize youth for community development, specifically on issues affecting education, health, and WASH facilities in various remote areas. They have directly impacted 18,000 lives in more than 50 marginalized grassroot communities around Nigeria. The organization has set up means of reaching local residents, helping them to generate income and become self-sufficient. They are doing this by creating innovative inclusive approaches tailored to the insights they get from data visualization.
In the last six years of actively working in over 50 grassroots communities and impacted over 18,000 lives through different projects and homegrown initiatives, YAPD4Africa has grown to become one of the largest social development organizations in Africa continent that stand up to reduce poverty, marginalisation and inequality.
YAPD4Africa was founded by Idris Bilyaminu Ndasadu’Lau, a 24-year-old Nigerian, a community development expert, active citizen and social development activist. He founded this nonprofit at the age of 18 with his background as the driving force in 2017. He was born in a semi-urban community into a low-income household. According to him, he grew up in a community where 90% of the natives and children were extremely poor.
Ongoing Projects
Currently, YAPD4Africa is providing eco-friendly reusable menstrual hygiene kits to women and girls through their Rescue A Girl Initiative (RAG Project) as a long-term effort to ensure every woman and girl has access to dignified menstrual health.
While the Community Action-Led Initiative (CAL Project) is committed to continue educating and empowering young people in more effective ways to promote their participation in civic action and community development. We are also working to enhance young citizen participation in order to create an enabling environment that is open accountability, transparency and democratic governance at the grassroots. The aimed is to foster active participatory involvement of women and youths in community decision-making and implementation processes. CDC members will also work collaboratively as a team to address problems, organize actions, and contribute to their communities’ development.
Future Plans
In the near future, YAPD4Africa is looking at working toward education and empowerment projects. Their main plan for the future is to ensure they leave no community behind as they work in line to contribute their quota to the Sustainable Development Goals agenda. We look forward to many more years of impactful work by this dedicated organization and encourage people to support their efforts in any way they can.
