Abia State Governor, Dr Alex Otti has flagged off the TechRise Cohort 2, the second batch of a 3-month programme dedicated to empowering 850 Abia youths with advanced digital skills to fit into the digital demands of the 21st century.
Speaking while declaring the programme open in Aba, Governor Otti said that the exercise is not just a training exercise but a clear declaration of his administration’s commitment to empowering and equipping the younger generation with essential digital skills to stimulate economic growth.
Governor Otti represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Uzor Nwachukwu, noted that the programme is designed to bridge the digital skills gap and arm the youth with the required skills to be able to compete with their contemporaries at the global stage.
He said that the 3-month intensive training programme will address the critical gap and disparity between the skills of the young people and demands of the modern job market, adding that the overall vision is to transform the state into a hub of digital excellence.
The State Chief Executive said that the 2nd cohort followed the successful completion of the first cohort earlier this year during which 19 best trainees out of the 510 were offered automatic employment into the State civil service.
Speaking, the Mayor of Umunneochi LGA, Mr Sunday Afuruobi, expressed gratitude to Governor Otti for partnering the Mayors of the 17 LGAs in providing Abia youths with the opportunity to be trained in ICT and urged participants to imbibe the can-do spirit of the Igbo people and strive to become future employers of labour through the training programme.
In a welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Lady Oge Maduka, described the exercise as an experience that will redefine the future of participants and launch them into the 21st Century digital economy, urging the participants to approach the program with dedication and seriousness as they will at the end of the 3-months program make their contribution in the technologically demanding world.
In their separate speeches, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs. Magdalene Ugoanusi and the General Manager, Abia State Orientation Agency, Ure Abazie, commended Governor Otti for his commitment in empowering the youths and urged the participants to be responsible and take the training seriously.
Contributing, the CEO of LearnFactory Nigeria and Technical Coordinator of the TechRise project, Mr Chibueze Ukaegbu, said that the youths would be exposed to exceptional technical skills, particularly in 10 cutting-edge skills that are in demand across the globe.
The three months intensive programme with the theme “Redefining The Future” will expose the youths in various skills such as Animation Data, Data processing, Data Engineering, software development, machine learning, entrepreneurship, Leadership, financial literacy, Cyber security among others.
