460 Niger Youths, Women Empowered With Digital Skills

A total of 450 indigent youths and women have benefitted from digital skills acquisition by Ubelle/Neo Cloud Consortium in Niger State.

The consortium’s managing director, Dr Ali Johnson-Onoja, who spoke at the participants’ graduation and internship business pitching programme in Suleja, said the training included digital marketing, data analysis, and cyber security.

He said it was done in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education under its Innovation Development and Effectiveness in the Acquisition of Skills (IDEAS) project.

Johnson-Onoja said the beneficiaries were selected from over 900 young people who indicated interest when the programme began in December 2023.

He added that the graduates have been equipped with the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in the digital age.

The managing director said that the federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, had launched the World Bank-supported IDEAS project to enhance the country’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system.

He said, “This initiative aims to improve skills acquisition by involving industry stakeholders and attracting private sector resources to the formal training system. The programme focuses on inclusivity, welcoming individuals of all genders, backgrounds, and physical abilities.”

Johnson-Onoja said it aimed at providing participants with holistic preparation for entry-level job opportunities through hands-on training and internships aligned with industry standards.
He said the programme is being implemented at the Fabsi Institute of Entrepreneurship in Suleja. He explained that the participants have obtained certificates from internationally recognised certification bodies in the primary, intermediary and advanced categories.
Johnson-Onoja said the graduates would be mentored to get jobs in the evolving digital marketplace, making many of them self-employed individuals, business owners, and entrepreneurs.