Access Bank Plc and King’s Trust International have formalised a strategic partnership to expand employment, entrepreneurship, and sustainable livelihoods for young people across Africa, with the agreement signed in London during President Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom.
The partnership agreement was signed by Roosevelt Ogbonna, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Access Bank Plc, and Will Straw CBE, Chief Executive Officer of King’s Trust International. The signing ceremony was witnessed by senior leaders from both organisations alongside distinguished guests including Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Co-Chair of King’s Trust International’s Africa Advisory Board and Chairman of Access Holdings Plc; Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Co-Chair of the Africa Advisory Board; and Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Under the agreement, Access Bank will support the delivery of King’s Trust International programmes that empower young people across several African countries, supporting them to gain skills and find pathways into meaningful employment and self-employment. The partnership brings together King’s Trust International’s expertise in youth development with Access Bank’s pan-African reach and long-standing commitment to inclusive and sustainable growth, with both organisations working to equip young people with the skills, confidence, and support needed to build successful futures through employment and entrepreneurship.
Both chief executives spoke with conviction about the significance of the deal. Straw said the collaboration reflected a shared commitment to unlocking the potential of young people across the continent. “By combining our experience in youth development with Access Bank’s scale and leadership across the continent, we can create meaningful pathways to opportunity and long-term impact,” he said.
Ogbonna emphasised that empowering young people remained critical to Africa’s sustainable growth and development. “Our partnership with King’s Trust International reinforces our commitment to entrepreneurship, job creation and inclusive development, while enabling us to play a purposeful role in shaping the continent’s future,” he said.
The timing and scale of the partnership reflect the urgency of the challenge it seeks to address. Globally, young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults over 25, while in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, up to one in three young people are not in employment, education, or training. King’s Trust International has an ambitious goal of empowering one million young people to access meaningful work, and the Access Bank collaboration is expected to significantly accelerate progress toward that target across the African continent.
The partnership is expected to strengthen cross-sector collaboration to address youth unemployment, promote entrepreneurship, and drive inclusive economic growth across Africa. Specific countries and programmes to be covered under the agreement are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as both organisations work to operationalise the deal.
