Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has urged youths to upscale their skills in ICT to be positioned for the opportunities that abound in the sector.
While stressing his administration’s commitment to a revolutionary digital economy, technological advancement, and industrialisation, Aiyedatiwa emphasised that the knowledge acquired in ICT is capable of transforming the lives of youths and the state.
According to the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, during the flag-off ceremony for the training of 500 youths organised by the Ondo State Government in collaboration with GIZ-ZME, the digital transformative journey for youths in the state remains a priority towards a collective vision of an ICT-inclined state.
With the governor appealing to the trainees to embrace the opportunity to sharpen their ICT skills, he assured that programmes and policies that will address unemployment, bridge the skills gap, and ensure the prosperity of all the people will continue to be explored and implemented.
He said: “This training, an innovative initiative of the Ondo State Government, in collaboration with the Nigerian-German Centre for Migration and Development (GIZ-ZME), is a testament to the power of collaboration in achieving transformative change, and it represents a bold and forward-thinking step towards equipping our young people with the requisite skills necessary to thrive in today’s fast-evolving digital economy.
“Our administration is committed to revolutionary technological advancement and industrialisation, which is an integral part of “OUR EASE” policy thrust in the state. We have been partnering with governmental institutions at the federal level and private organisations towards providing our youths with the required ICT skills in order to make them competitive in the increasing digitalised world.
“All of these and more are responsible for the choice of Ondo State as the Southwest regional location of the Space-Technology and Virtual Satellite Aperture Terminal (VSAT) hackathon training by the Nigerian Communications Satellite Company (NIGCOMSAT), which will hold in the month of May.”
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aiyedatiwa on ICT, Tomide Akinribido, and the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, Benedict Gbayesemore, disclosed that over 2,000 youths in the state indicated interest in the training.
The governor, whose aides assured that those who were not shortlisted would be accommodated in a series of programmes that are in the offing, maintained that ICT is a veritable tool with endless value chain opportunities to address youth unemployment and restiveness.
On her part, the Controller of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in the state, Mrs Nike Mogboruko, commended the state government and other partners for making the initiative a reality, emphasising that the digital economy is the new frontier.
“This initiative aligns with the federal government’s policy direction, particularly the National Employment Policy, which underscores the need for strategic interventions in technical and vocational education, ICT, and entrepreneurship to curb unemployment and foster decent work.”
The Facility Manager, Nigerian German Centre for Migration and Development (GIZ-ZME), Ayomikun Olugbode, stated that, “It is very important to bridge the gap of skills for young people, and that is why we provide upscaling training on ICT. Young Nigerians who want to migrate or seek employment in Nigeria have the right and qualified skills to work here or in any part of the world.
“The programme is for four weeks in collaboration with the Ondo State Government through the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), and we are happy to be here to support this innovation. We have been collaborating with Ondo State for about five years. We are happy to continue to do more, support and collaborate.”
