Over 500 youths in the three senatorial districts of Edo state have been trained on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills by The Edo State Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs).
The Managing Director, EdoJobs, Mrs. Ukinebo Dare, disclosed this in a chat with journalists in Benin City saying the training programmes are targeted at equipping youths with the right skillsets to build careers in Nigeria’s burgeoning technology scene, noting that 50 participants are currently undergoing courses on data science and artificial intelligence, as 500 others have participated in the programme since its commencement.
In line with need to further technology innovation drive by the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration,the state government has prioritized training in information and communication technologies to drive societal development. This is why we are leveraging on ICT skills and training to engage youths in Edo State.
She said “we are confident that these trainings will equip our youths with skills and the expertise to pursue careers in science and technology while providing them with the needed insight to thrive in the ICT-dominated digital world”.
The director further disclosed that the next phase of the training would take place in Auchi, Ekpoma, Irrua and Igbesanmwan communities, with each center training 33 people, adding that EdoJobs has continued to lead extensive skills development programmes across the state, which contribute significantly to the over 150,000 jobs created by the Obaseki-led government, and Edo State has leveraged on human capacity building in creating the skilled manpower required to drive its industrialization plans.
Mrs Dare added that skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development programmes are opportunities for more youths to gain sellable skills that would make them stand out as entrepreneurs and employers of labour, which will further address the problem of poverty, hunger, unemployment, and ever-rising criminality among youths noting that several training programmes are ongoing at the Edo Innovation Hub in Benin City, which is the hub of the technology and innovation programmes of the state government.
Aisha Sambo
(Fic Benin)
