Democratization of digital skills vital for human capital development in Africa, says Olaniyan

Due to the scarcity of digital skills among people living in rural communities, the Executive Director of the EGO Foundation, Toluwalase Olaniyan has called for the accessibility of its democratization.

Olaniyan stressed that such is important if there is to be a sustenance and promotion of human capital development not only in Nigeria but across Africa.

Olaniyan said this during the launch of EGO Foundation’s Ghetto Tech Stars programme, a 4-week intensive boot camp where participants will be trained in selected technology skills.

The flag-off of the event took place at the Ajeromi Local Government Secretariat, Lagos; and it was designed to democratize technology skills in a bid to make them more accessible to youths in underserved communities.

The event attracted over 150 youths within the Ajegunle community and its environs with the selected 50 youngsters to scale through the boot camp and come out as fellows of the Ghetto Tech Stars programme.

Olaniyan explained that the fellows would be trainers who would be hired to train other young people within the community

He said, “Democratizing technology skills is extremely important to sustaining our Human Capital Development in Africa. Making technology skills available to young people living in underserved communities would in no little way increase their living standards as they earn from these technology skills. Improved living and economic condition is what we stand for at EGO Foundation” he said.

Olaniyan further said, ‘we are happy to have and we thank The Access Corporation for supporting this initiative.’

In his remarks, Ikechukwu Onu, a certified full-stack Digital Manager enlightened the interested participants on the power of being enabled with technology skills and discussed the many opportunities that would be available to them through the programme.

The project is expected to reach 5000 people in the first quarter of 2023. Ajegunle is the first host community and other underserved communities will be activated in the first quarter of 2023