…plans to establish Community Innovation Centre at Oji River LGA
Cross-section of the trainees, while below photo is Chief Ugoh Agballah, Enugu APC chairman, who represented Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology; Facilitator, Mazi Dr Ezenwa Onyirimba (Middle) and others, at the event.
From Maurice Okafor, Enugu
To conform with the emerging global digital economy, arrangements have been concluded to train 300 unemployed graduates from Aninri/Awgu/Oji River Federal Constituency, also referred as ‘Greater Awgu’ at Digital Bridge Institute, located at Ibagwa-Nike, Enugu state.
The training, which will last between three months and six months, guarantees automatic employment for successful candidates with firm grips of digital skills aftermath of the training.
The President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute, Dr Daser David represented by Head of Enugu Campus of the organization, Engr. Daniel Chinagozie, dropped this hint during a one-day orientation programme for the trainees, held on Saturday,August 23 at Hanef event center, Mile 2, Oji River.
He disclosed that there is vacancy to train and employ up to 50,000. Nigerian youths to fit into the digital global market in the next two years, and selected graduates from Greater Awgu enclave are taking the first shots for the South East zone, courtesy of Mazi Dr A A. Onyirimba, APC National Director on Youths and Students Affairs.
He tasked the participants to utilize the period of the training to imbibe digital skills, to enable them fit into the 50,000 lucrative digital job opportunities,created by their foreign partners for Nigerians.
He stated, “We are targeting at training and engaging 50,000 youths across Nigeria within the next two years. And our plan is to train them on skills like business process outsourcing skills because these are skills that our partners in the US and other countries have need for. We are training them on digital marketing, software development, cyber security so that they can work in some of our cyber security operation centres across the country.”
He said the trainees have the option of being tutored on cyber security, digital marketing, call center management, Software Engineering, among others, cautioning them that they must embrace one course at a time.
On his part, Digital Bridge Institute CEO, Dr Daser David, gave kudos to the Facilitator, Dr Ezenwa A.A. Onyirimba, the National Director, Youths and Students Affairs wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC), for his committment in attracting the tech- training to Greater Awgu, ahead of other proposals for such training in other towns of the South East zone.
He commended Dr.Onyirimba for also facilitating the revitalisation of the Digital Bridge Institute, Ibagwa-Nike by the federal government.
The Head of Campus, Digital Bridge Institute, Engr.Chinagozie who spoke on behalf of Dr Daser David, expressed the desire of Digital Bridge Institute to establish a ‘Community Innovation Center’ at Oji River,So as to bring tech training closer to the people .
He stressed there will be opportunities for people to work from home for international organizations,based on their expertise of digital skills acquired from the Institute/Center.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, who was represented by the Enugu state APC chaimeman, Chief Ugoh Agballah, described digital technology as the most vibrant sector of the economy, controlling over 29.5 percent of the global economy. He equally tasked the participants to utilize the opportunity of the training to improve their career.
The Minister expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving the training through the office of Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr. Bosun Tijani
Chief Nnaji extolled the Facilitator, Dr Ezenwa Onyirimba, who is also Chairman, South East Youth Stakeholders Forum and Director General, Youth and Students Council of the APC, for attracting the training.
His words, “Like I said, tech is a new civilization, we are on the verge of new civilization, a civilization that can only be likened to the super natural and it’s a new realm that is opening up. People say that it’s an industrial revolution, but it’s bigger than an industrial revolution.
“There’s no sector that has contributed 10 percent to the world economy but tech is today contributing 29.5 percent and it’s growing at 9.5 percent per annum.
“So it’s important that we key into this new convergence; convergence of robotics, Artificial Intelligence, cyber security, data analytics. And I believe that the digital field, with what digital agencies do here, will prepare our youths to engage in this new realm.”
Speaking earlier, the facilitator of the training,vDr Onyirimba lamented that the COVID- 19 menace, proved the point that digital operations has become inevitable in our every day activity. He said the project is just another way of demonstrating his belief in human capital development as a bedrock for developing Greater Awgu.
His words, “What we are doing today is orientation for the selected 300 unemployed graduates from Greater Awgu, that’s Oji-River, Awgu and Aninri local government areas. So it’s happening here in Oji-River to give them information about the programme. The programme is taking off in the first week of October at their campus.
“So it’s all about empowerment, it’s all about employment, it’s all about providing for the people of Greater Awgu, it’s all about encouraging the youths, giving them access to sustainable development.”
He comnended the efforts of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement, South East, Barr Chioma Nweze in turning his dreams into reality.
Dr Onyirimba extolled the Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani and Dr Daser David, President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute,for their supports.
Some of the trainees who spoke ro newsmen poured encomiums on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu thanked for the initiative, expressed their optimism to excel in the training so as to fit into the 50,000 tech oriented job opportunities,etc.
