MAJENE, 18 June 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Indonesia continues to scale its sub-national Youth Co:Lab initiative, this time in West Sulawesi, where the West Sulawesi University (UNSULBAR) successfully led a localized entrepreneurship lab from 15–18 June 2025. The activity, supported by Bank Indonesia, Bank Sulselbar, and the Government of Majene Regency, directly engaged 27 youth-led enterprises involving 54 young entrepreneurs. It represents a distinctive model of youth empowerment, driven by collaboration between academic institutions and local stakeholders.

Unlike South Sumatra, where Youth Co:Lab is led by a youth community and championed by the provincial government, the West Sulawesi model puts the university at the center of coordination, reflecting a promising approach for regions with strong academic ecosystems.

M. Nasir Badu, PhD, Head of the Center for Community Empowerment and Service (LPPM) at UNSULBAR, emphasized the importance of academic-government collaboration:
“We sincerely thank UNDP for entrusting UNSULBAR to lead this effort. With joint support from local government and Bank Sulselbar, we believe this initiative is a catalyst to strengthen a more inclusive and sustainable youth entrepreneurship ecosystem in West Sulawesi.
 

The programme endorsed by Dr. Andi Rita Mariani, M.Pd, Vice Regent of Majene, who reaffirmed the local government’s support:

“We are proud to support this initiative and look forward to more inclusive coordination across all stakeholders within Majene’s youth entrepreneurship ecosystem. The involvement of young people and universities like UNSULBAR shows great promise for the future of our region.”

The sub-national activity provided intensive mentorship, business development training, and a pitching platform, with a focus on strengthening local ownership and sustainability. UNSULBAR is now poised to lead future coordination of the ecosystem by engaging regional actors in a multi-stakeholder platform.

“This West Sulawesi initiative demonstrates how local universities can take the lead in convening inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystems. With support from Bank Indonesia, Bank Sulselbar and the Majene Regency government, we are seeing a clear pathway for youth-driven economic transformation at the regency level,” said Randa Sandhita, Youth Focal Point at UNDP Indonesia.

This marks another milestone in the expansion of Youth Co:Lab Indonesia’s Sub-National strategy, which empowers youth not only through direct capacity-building, but also by embedding long-term ecosystem strengthening anchored in local leadership. 

UNDP remains committed to replicating these contextualized models in other provinces ensuring young people everywhere have the support, resources, and networks they need to drive sustainable development.