The Executive Vice President, International Business, APTECH, Kallol Mukherjee, has said that it is great that APTECH is celebrating 25 years in Nigeria, noting that the promoters of the IT training outfit envisioned to service Nigeria and build it as the IT superpower is gradually becoming a reality.

Speaking during the 17th edition of the company’s Career Quest in Lagos, Mukherjee disclosed that in its 25 years in Nigeria more than 100,000 students have been trained in the country.

“We never faced challenges. Twenty-five years, we have more than 60 centres in Nigeria alone and 100,000 students. So, we have been very lucky that we have been with the youth.”

In his welcome address, the Managing Director, APTECH Nigeria, Rajeev Venugopal, also said that 17th Career Quest is a significant milestone for APTECH as it marks its 25th anniversary of transforming the lives of young Nigerians.

He said the set out has been to make profound impact in Nigeria and it is happy about its successes so far.

According to him, APTECH first centre was at Maryland but has trained 100,000 students. “Some of them have their own start ups and I really felt proud of what we are doing in Nigeria, as we are changing lives. I am deeply grateful to all of our students past and present. Your success is our success as your growth is what drives us.”

He thanked the APTECH team members, both past and present, who ensured that the students come out in flying colours. He also appreciated one of its major partners, Middlesex University. He was optimistic that the future looks very bright, especially as IT skills are the way forward considering a lot of jobs are going to be wiped out by cutting edge technology. He said that APTECH hopes to empower at least a million students in the next 25 years.

Students from its centres in Lagos presented projects they executed around e-commerce, weather, sport-betting and animation.

Joy Iheanacho, who presented multiple projects, including an e-commerce platform, was one of the lucky students who won the 50 per cent Middlesex University, UK Scholarship.

According to her, she initially wanted to student law, but changed her mind, especially as tech was the new deal to her.

On the scholarship, she said: “I feel very excited. I’m very happy. I’d already decided that Middlesex was the university that I was going to go to. So, I’m very excited that they gave me this opportunity to do this and I’ll make sure that I grow and do something reasonable in the tech world.”