The Jopen Legacy Creative Impact Lab is a three-month youth empowerment programme created by the Centre for Youths Integrated Development (CYID) to honour the extraordinary humanitarian contributions of Dr. Bernward Jopen and his wife, Dr. Barbara Jopen—a couple whose quiet compassion has transformed lives across Nigeria for nearly a decade.
This programme is not a ceremonial tribute. It is a living legacy project—designed to reflect Dr. Jopen’s lifelong belief that dignity is restored when people are given skills, structure, and opportunity, not handouts.
Why This Legacy Matters. Since 2016, Dr. Bernward Jopen has consistently supported CYID’s work in youth empowerment, entrepreneurship, and migration-related interventions. Hundreds of Nigerian youths have benefitted from programmes he supported—through skills training, business plan competitions, and entrepreneurship development initiatives in Badagry, Lagos, and Abuja.
He single-handedly funded the establishment of the CYID Entrepreneurship Centre in Badagry, which has now evolved into the CYID Youth and Migration Resource Centre—a space dedicated to learning, innovation, protection, and reintegration. The Jopen Legacy Creative Impact Lab is built on this foundation.
What the Jopen Legacy Creative Impact Lab Is About
The programme is designed to equip young people—especially those with limited access to opportunities—with practical, income-generating skills while guiding them to see a future they can build where they are.
Over a three-month period, 26th January – 22nd April 2026 participants will receive hands-on training, mentorship, and guidance across the following areas:
• Bag Design and Production – from concept to finishing and branding
• Graphic Design & Video Editing – visual storytelling, branding, and digital content creation
• Advanced Fashion Class – skills for fashion entrepreneurship and creative expression
• Art (Painting & Mixed Media) – visual arts, murals, and creative exploration
• Web Design – building digital presence and basic web solutions
This combination reflects Dr. Jopen’s philosophy: skills must be paired with vision, and opportunity must be paired with responsibility.
Grounding the Programme in Purpose
In preparation for the Lab, CYID held an early-morning visioning session by the seaside in Badagry at 7:00am today 23rd January 2026. Despite the early hour, turnout was impressive highlighting how deeply young people crave spaces that help them reflect, focus, and believe in themselves. The feedback was overwhelming. Many participants shared that they had never experienced a guided visioning session before. Holding it by the ocean created a calm, open atmosphere that encouraged honest conversations about life, growth, and the future.
Partnerships Powering the Legacy
CYID extends special appreciation to Reftop Homes Ltd, our able partner on this legacy project, for standing firmly behind the vision and making implementation possible. We also acknowledge the collaboration and support of House of Mayrie and Badagry Local Government, whose involvement strengthens community ownership and sustainability.
More Than a Programme—A Living Tribute
The Jopen Legacy Creative Impact Lab is CYID’s way of saying thank you—not with plaques or speeches, but with lives empowered, skills transferred, and futures redirected. It reflects a simple truth: when compassion is sustained, it becomes legacy. And when legacy is rooted in people, it lives far beyond one generation.
This is the spirit of Dr. Bernward Jopen—now carried forward through young hands, creative minds, and renewed hope in Badagry.
