The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Jigawa State Government have partnered to empower youths in the state in Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
At the flag-off of a capacity-building training program sponsored by the state government for 1000 youths in the state, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa called on youths in Jigawa State to embrace Information Communication Technology skills because of its strategic importance and necessity to drive the nation’s digital economy.
The training is being organised through a collaboration between the Jigawa State government, the National Information Technology Agency NITDA, Base University and IDEAS through the Jigawa State Development Agency for Youth Empowerment and Employment.
While advising the youth in the country to embrace ICT skills for sustainable development and self-reliance, the NITDA boss noted that the world is shifting from paper qualifications to skills and those who want to succeed must key into it to survive.
“This training of the one thousand youths in Jigawa on skills in emerging technologies will enable the state to recover its lost glory as the leading state in the ICT sector of Nigeria in the early 2000s,” he said.
He disclosed that NITDA will continue to partner with state governments nationwide to expand digital literacy for citizens’ exclusivity in propelling the national digital economy to fight poverty and poverty-related challenges in the country.
Meanwhile, Governor Umar Namadi, who was represented at the event by the state’s Deputy Governor, Aminu Usman Gumel, commended NITDA for its various intervention programmes, which cut across many sectors. He noted that they have aided the state to achieve the present feat in less than one year in office.
Other speakers at the flag-off ceremony include the Director General, Jigawa State Agency for Youth Empowerment and Employment Dr. Habibu Ubale and representatives from the collaborating organizations all agreed that providing ICT skills to youths in the state would enhance sustainable economic development.
The training focused on five areas with special attention to Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Software development among others is believed to produce young talents that will take the lead in pulling the string of digital development in the state and the country at large.