Caucus Buy-in Meeting with the Leadership of Participating Unions and Social Movements – Young Workers Leadership Programme 2025

Since its inception, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Nigeria Young Workers Leadership Programme, supported by Mondiaal FNV for 2025, has been a transformative initiative aimed at empowering young trade unionists in Nigeria. This ongoing effort seeks to engage young people in trade unions across the country, amplifying their voices, fostering leadership, and addressing the challenges faced by youth within the union movement.

To ensure the success of this nine-month training programme, a crucial Caucus Buy-In Session was held on 14 March 2025. This session brought together key stakeholders from participating trade unions and social movements, along with FES representatives, to discuss the programme’s objectives, expected deliverables, and the roles and responsibilities of all parties involved.

The primary goals of the Caucus Buy-In Session were to:

1. Secure commitment and support from the leaders of participating unions for the ongoing training programme.
2. Foster collaboration among all stakeholders, ensuring a united approach to achieving the goals of the Young Workers Leadership Programme.
3. Clarify roles, expectations, and deliverables, outlining the responsibilities of each party, particularly the union representatives, in contributing to the programme’s success.

By aligning all parties on these critical points, the session served as a pivotal moment for creating a cohesive and collaborative framework for the programme.

The session began with an introduction to the core objectives of the Young Workers Leadership Programme. This included a focus on youth empowerment through leadership development and active participation in trade unions, while creating a platform for young workers to engage meaningfully in union activities. The FES Nigeria team emphasized the importance of the programme in strengthening youth representation within unions, highlighting the challenges young workers face and the value they bring to the union movement.

The meeting included a detailed discussion on the roles and responsibilities of the participating unions, social movements, and FES Nigeria. Union leaders were reminded of their critical role in ensuring the success of the programme by providing support to selected participants and actively engaging in the implementation and evaluation phases of the training. Each union's commitment to facilitating active participation from their young members was emphasized, and union leaders were asked to ensure that selected participants remained engaged throughout the nine-month training programme.

The session outlined the expected deliverables for each stakeholder involved in the programme, which included:

• Active participation and attendance of nominated participants in all training sessions.
• Support for monitoring and evaluation processes to track participants' progress and assess the overall effectiveness of the programme.
• A shared understanding of the evaluation criteria, particularly the requirement for participants to complete at least 95% of the programme to receive certification.
• Collaboration between the unions and social movements with FES to ensure smooth execution and to address any challenges faced by participants during the training.

A major outcome of the session was the alignment of goals across all stakeholders. Union leaders expressed their support for the programme’s mission, emphasizing their commitment to integrating young workers into leadership roles within the union movement. Collaboration between FES and the unions was deemed essential for ensuring the long-term impact of the programme. The session concluded with a shared understanding that success would depend on collective action, active engagement, and continuous feedback from both the unions and the FES team.

The Caucus Buy-In Session held on 14 March 2025 successfully provided a platform for aligning the goals and responsibilities of all stakeholders involved in the FES Nigeria Young Workers Leadership Programme. The session not only secured the commitment and support of union leaders but also set the stage for effective collaboration and the successful implementation of the training programme.

As the programme continues, active involvement from participating unions will be critical to its success. With a clear understanding of their roles and the support of FES Nigeria, the Young Workers Leadership Programme is poised to have a lasting and meaningful impact on the trade union movement in Nigeria.