As part of efforts to empower the youth and improve their lives, the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has trained over 6,000 youths in the areas of digital marketing, content creation, and relevant ICT skills.
The Director-General of the Agency, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this during a round table dialogue on digital economy held recently in the FCT. Dr Mohammed Aminu who represented the DG said the agency embarked on that massive training to ensure that the youth are equipped with what they need to be self-reliant rather than waiting for white-collar jobs.
Considering that young people make up the greater part of the population and are supposed to be the future of the country, Dr Aminu said it has become expedient to see to it that they have what it takes to contribute to the growth of the country. “We have been training women, civil servants, people living with disabilities and youths. Most recently we had a digital state initiative which is a platform where youths are being trained on content creation, digital marketing and others,” he asserted.
In his remarks, the President of the Civil Society Group for Good Governance (CSGGG), Comrade Ogakwu Dominic, appealed to the government to introduce skills acquisition into the school curriculum in order to curtail the issue of employment in the country. According to him, “it is time we inform the average unemployed youths that the dynamics around job creation has changed, therefore they need to update their perception on how to get employed.” He explained that the topic was chosen because the digital economy has not been utilized enough to solve the problems of unemployment, which is why reengineering the school system has become expedient so that it can integrate digital information and skills acquisition into what is being done at the moment.