By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
His Excellency, Kashim Shettima, Vice President of Nigeria has launched a Skillnovation Programme,an initiative aimed at providing relevant digital skills to over 3 million Nigerians, enhancing their abilities in the global economy.
The Federal Government and ALAT partnered to launch Skillnovation Programme on Friday in a bid to support information technology revolution that would, in turn, extend the reach of economic and social interactions as well as enhance productivity growth in Nigeria.
Wema Bank, in partnership with the government, will establish skills training centers in 17 states, impacting 2 million youths and 1 million small businesses.
The Skillnovation Programme will establish 15 state-of-the-art ICT centres, strategically placed across Nigeria, to provide individuals and businesses alike with access to cutting-edge digital training, resources, and support.
The first phase of the programme will focus on the states of Katsina, Anambra, Borno, Lagos, Oyo, and Kano, while the second phase will include Delta, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Kwara, and Ekiti States.
Speaking during the launch of the programme at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Friday, the Vice President described the Skillnovation as a “transformative initiative” that “ushers in a new era of digital empowerment for” Nigerians.
He said, “We are compelled to tread this path by the direction in which the world has headed, a world of disruptive technologies redefined by the fourth Industrial Revolution.
“This initiative is a response to the evolution of the modern business environment, an acknowledgment that digital skills have become the cornerstone of economic ease and expansion.”
Mr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, emphasized leveraging youth enthusiasm in technology to establish Nigeria as a global power in the sector, urging increased collaboration between the private sector and the government for effective job creation.