ATC Nigeria backs Edo ICT development

The partnership between Edo State government and some members of the organized private sector has started to yield results as the American Tower Company (ATC), Nigeria over the weekend handed over the Digital Skills Village Project it built in Benin City to the state government.

The project sited at Igbesamwan Street, Benin City, was built by ATC Nigeria as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to provide computer training to youths in the area.Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Governor Godwin Obaseki assured that the training would commence immediately pointing out that trainees are on ground for the take off.

Represented by the Head of Employer Engagement and Partnership on Skill Development Program, Mrs. Eseosa Egharevba, Obaseki, said that the project is an integral part of Edo Innovative Project stating that the government is focusing on digital skill acquisition by the youths as its imperative in today’s human capital development.

“There is going to be innovation. This project is an integral part of Edo Innovative Project. We already have students that will start to train. There is no way a state will develop without focusing on this integral sector.”

While thanking ATC Nigeria for the gesture and for being a responsible corporate citizen, the Governor assured that the facility will be protected from vandalism.“I thank the entire ATC Nigeria for this project. We’ll ensure there is dedicated security patrol to secure the project area and we will also partner with ATC Nigeria to ensure supervision and monitoring of the project.

“We will ensure we partner with local authority in various Local Government Councils to ensure these facilities are used for the purpose it is established for,” the Governor said.

The Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of PEES Electrical Ltd, the contracting firm that handled the project for ATC Nigeria, Peter Balogun, stated that the Digital Skills Village Project is designed to complement the state’s ICT hub which was also commissioned in Benin City, by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

Balogun said the project is a corporate social responsibility project of ATC Nigeria and it is designed to train youths in digital and other software skills and capacity building.

While handing over the facility to Edo state government, the Chief Operating Officer/Project Manager of PEES Electrical Ltd, Areola Bolurinwa, said the centre will manage all elementary trainings and trainees would thereafter be taken to the state ICT hub at the old Institute of Continuing Education, ICE for further training.The ATC Nigeria has also built a similar digital skills training centres at Ekpoma and Irrua in Edo state and some other states in Nigeria.