Powering Innovation with the Private Sector

How UNDP is working with the private sector to support youth and women-led innovations to advance sustainable development in Africa.

March 4, 2025

Vanil Dogmo with some of his innovative wooden products

UNDP Cameroon

“Years ago, as an artisan, I had this burning desire to produce a 3D printing machine that could work on wood, metal, fabric, and other materials. I was faced with many challenges, lack of resources and lack of belief in the success of my idea”, said Vanil Dogmo, a young Cameroonian Innovator.

For over six years, Vanil carried his dream of a day when his vision could come to fruition. His story is similar to many young African innovators seeking opportunities to contribute significantly to sustainable development. Like Vanil, Mark Osarfo, a Ghanaian Innovator, was also burdened with tackling plantain post-harvest loss in his community.

“Since childhood, I noticed significant plantains rot after harvest in my community. I have been wondering what I could do about this waste until I decided to experiment with using plantains to produce drinks, ice cream, and flour”, Mark stated.

Collaborating for Impact

As a development agency, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) relies on voluntary contributions from UN Member States, multilateral organizations, International Financial Institutions (IFIs), the private sector, and other partners to carry out development interventions.

The private sector is a vital engine of economic growth and innovation, accounting for approximately 90% of jobs in developing countries. In Africa, the evolving partnership between private entities and UNDP holds immense potential to drive youth-led innovation, create sustainable employment opportunities, and advance women’s empowerment.

“Our programme with UNDP aims to put young people, especially young women at the centre of driving solutions that improve their well-being and resilience”, noted Rica Rwigamba, Country Director for the Mastercard Foundation in Ghana.

Driving Inclusive Innovation

UNDP’s partnerships with private entities including the Mastercard Foundation, MTN Foundation, and banks, are spurring innovations across Africa and beyond.

“With funding from the UNDP Cameroon’s innovation competition, I set up a company and successfully built the prototype for the 3D machine I dreamt of. We are now manufacturing finished products like wooden tables, wooden sinks, and glass doors with innovative styles”, Vanil, the CEO of Pemesso proudly recounted.

Vanil’s story exemplifies how UNDP's partnerships with private entities are fostering youth-led innovation and employment opportunities in Africa. Thanks to the support, Vanil has a striving business, and today his company produces innovative modern wooden doors, iron, aluminum glass designs, and wooden stationery. His company has become a major supplier to big companies, hotels, and homes across Cameroon. Vanil is also providing jobs for 10 other young people.

Three smiling individuals in lab coats showcase wooden products in a modern interior setting. — Vanil and some of his staff with samples of Pemesso's wooden stationery.

UNDP Cameroon

To support more youth like Vanil, partners like MTN Foundation have come on board to collaborate with UNDP on digital and innovation activities. In the same way, through the support of the Mastercard Foundation, many innovators like Mark are receiving mentorship, funding, and business development training to refine their innovations into scalable products.

“After the bootcamp training in Accra, I have improved my packaging and method of production for the plantain drinks, flour, and ice creams”, Mark Osarfo indicated.

Addressing Youth Unemployment

UNDP's partnership with the private sector shows how inclusive and sustainable business practices can generate shared value. In Africa, more than one in four young people– around 72 million – is said to be out of employment, education, or training, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).

These staggering statistics underscore the pressing need for targeted policies and initiatives to support African youth like Vanil and Mark to create jobs for others. The heroes in this story, Vanil and Mark, have directly created jobs. Vanil provided jobs for 10 youth, while Mark created jobs for 20 people.

Moreover, in Eswatini, thanks to UNDP’s partnerships with private companies on the government’s Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme (EYEP), young people like Qondile Masango are seeing their dreams come true. Companies like the Coca-Cola, MTN Foundation, Public Service Pension Fund, Standard Bank, Eswatini Bank, and the Construction Industry Council of Eswatini partnered with UNDP to support the EYEP initiative.

"I understood the business side of things and gained confidence to establish my business," Qondile Masango, an upholstery artisan said after her training and internship on the EYEP programme, which supports unemployed graduates through internship placements, and out-of-school youth with artisanal skills training.

Qondile Masango, a beneficiary of the Eswatini Youth Empowerment Programme supported by private companies.

UNDP Eswatini

Empowering Women

UNDP's collaboration with the private sector also helps women economically, transforming livelihoods. For instance, in Mali, companies like Brunello, a Japanese private entity, and Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia have worked with UNDP to empower women in the artisanal textile sector. Through modern marketing strategies, personal protective equipment, healthcare support, and provision of water systems, four artisanal dyeing associations comprising 200 women are doubling their production capacity.

“The water system helps us to increase our production because the time we spent on fetching water is now being used in dyeing our garments”, Aichata Fofana, a Business Owner in Mali who benefited from the initiative noted.

In the same vein, in Ethiopia, through the “Build Her Business Initiative”, individuals, the Ethiopian Diaspora Trust Fund, and private corporations like the Great Ethiopian Run, have partnered with UNDP on a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for more than 700 women in post-conflict areas to rebuild their lives and livelihoods. This helped women like Medina Durgusa to return home and rebuild her business.

Making Markets Work for All

UNDP's private sector strategy encourages businesses to invest in SDGs, promote sustainable practices, and align with SDG-related policies to foster inclusive growth.

The role of the private sector in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) cannot be understated. As these collaborations between UNDP in Africa and the Private sector gain momentum, they could serve as catalysts for transformative change, unlocking new pathways for inclusive growth and long-term impact.

UNDP is therefore open to collaborating with more private companies on various development interventions including its flagship timbuktoo Africa initiative, to support young African innovators to turn challenges into opportunities. This way, we can foster a more prosperous and inclusive future for all.