The Women in Corporate Consulting in Nigeria (WICN) has launched the Next-Gen Consult Project, a pan-African initiative aimed at equipping 10,000 young women with the skills, mentorship and practical experience needed to thrive in consulting, business, leadership and emerging industries.
The initiative was unveiled in Abuja as WICN seeks to address persistent gaps in professional capacity, particularly among young women navigating an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world of work.
According to the organisation, the project goes beyond conventional training by combining practical learning with mentorship and long-term support. Participants will be equipped with consulting, innovation, leadership and sustainable business management skills designed to help them become confident professionals, entrepreneurs and problem-solvers.
Founder and Chairperson of WICN, Sylvia Chomo, said the initiative was inspired by her own experiences and the challenges she encountered while building her professional career.
For Chomo, the goal is to create the kind of support system that many young women need but often struggle to access.
She noted that the rapid transformation of industries, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, means young professionals need more than access to opportunities.
“They need knowledge. They need mentors. They need practical guidance. They need people who believe in them until they begin to believe in themselves,” she said.
The Next-Gen Consult Project is built around WICN’s broader commitment to training, mentoring and supporting young African women through different stages of their professional development.
The organisation envisions that the 10,000 women reached through the initiative will go on to become consultants, business owners, corporate leaders and change-makers capable of creating opportunities for others.
Chomo also highlighted the wider economic potential of the initiative, noting that equipping thousands of women with relevant skills could contribute to the growth of new consulting businesses, create employment and strengthen communities across Africa.
The project has received support from the Nigerian Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), whose President, Bulus James, described the initiative as an important step towards closing capability and gender gaps within Africa’s corporate sector.
The first phase of the programme includes a two-day transformative learning experience focused on practical consulting frameworks, leadership, sustainable business management and preparing participants to take greater ownership of their professional futures.
WICN is calling on organisations, development partners, donors and other stakeholders to support the initiative as it works towards its goal of reaching 10,000 young women across Africa.
The organisation believes that investing in women’s professional capacity is not only an investment in individual careers, but also in stronger businesses, families, communities and economies.
