Google to train one million in Nigeria, other SSA countries

Search engine giant, Google has announced plans to train one million youth in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries within the next one year.

The training, according to Google would be basically on improving and increasing digital skills among the youths.

To realize this objective, Google is supporting its partner Livity Africa to run two training programs: ‘Digify Bytes’ to give digital skills to young people hoping to develop a digital career; and ‘Digify Pro’, a three-month immersion program for digital specialists.

These programmes, it explained have already been launched in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa, and will be scaled to reach more people in the next 12 months. It added that a group of 65 volunteer Googlers from around the world are helping the Livity team with content development, ‘training the trainers’ and, in some cases, delivering the training sessions.

“Additionally, today sees the launch of an online-learning portal that will house a range of digital skills courses, available to anyone in Africa – free. The courses are designed to be as “light” as possible so they don’t eat up valuable data. There are nine training courses already available and Google aims to have 50 available by July”, Google stated.

Speaking on the announcement, Country Manager, Google Nigeria, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said: “The internet is at the heart of economic growth and the digital skills program is aimed at helping more Africans play a part in the digital economy. Everyone can succeed online, start a new business, grow their existing one, or share their passion.”

It also disclosed that apart from using the desktop platform, the training can also be accessible through the mobile phones, stressed that the trainers will be allowed to extend trainings beyond the urban cities.

According to Google, by 2020, there will be half a billion Internet users in Africa, presenting an opportunity for African businesses and digital entrepreneurs. It disclosed that youth unemployment across Africa is high (35 per cent in South Africa, 17 per cent in Kenya, 13 per cent in Nigeria), as such, Google said developing digital entrepreneurship and creating new job opportunities for young people is critical to Africa’s transformative growth.

“But digital skills are still under-developed, making it harder for African economies to get the most out of the web”, it stated.

To help close this knowledge gap, Google is pledging to train one million young people in Africa in digital skills in the next year, as part of its contribution to growing Africa’s digital economy.