The fact remains that there is little the government can do in terms of job creation for the youths. Though, the country is out of economic recession, experts believed it will take a while before the economy can get back to proper shape.
The programme is an initiative of the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for the training of 400 youths on Mobile Application Development and Entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the launch of the Project in Abuja, the Regional Director Office Abuja, Yao Ydo reiterated UNESCO’s commitment, “to contribute towards the building of inclusive knowledge societies, by enhancing Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) skills and open solutions to empower youth, to develop mobile applications that resolve identified local issues of sustainable development.
According to UNESCO, the training of the youths will be in four batches. Last week, the first batch of 100 youths graduated from the training on September 6, 2017. The second batch of another 100 youths resumed for the training which will last for two months on September 8.
The National Professional Officer of UNESCO in charge of communication and Information, Mr. Marculey Olushola, “This is UNESCO’s initiative worldwide. It is called
UNESCO youth. The idea is that by 2018 about two billion youth will be
able to develop mobile applications. Coming down to Nigeria, we have started training the youths on Mobile applications with the concentration on the girls. What we have done is to bring the first batch of 100 youths together and train them on mobile application and networking.
“There has been a lot of testimonies from the first batch of the training, where a lot of them said they no nothing about computers before now but can now dismantled a computer and assemble it again.
“We can not say that we have finished the assignment because, this is the first out of the four batches that we have. We still have three more batches to go. The UNESCO is so pleased with the achievement recorded in the first batch.
“The second batch of students for training will be resuming on September, 8. Among those that graduated yesterday, there are those that can now develop mobile applications and mobile networking. The UNESCO is still working with FCTA to see that the HUB they promised us is provided and the idea behind this is that those who have completed thier training can come back to continue.”
According to Macaulay, the training should be a continuous process and the youths should also be encouraged to form different groups of four or five persons where they can set up small enterprise among themselves.
He said, “Some of them might not even need up to a N100.000 to start up a business of thier own. They do not even need a big place to start up a business. The only thing they need from here is support and we will not stop in giving support.
“We are talking with other state governments to look at this template that we have started in the FCT and embrace it because unemployment situation in the country is on the increase and we have to take urgent approach to tackle it”.
Some of the graduating youths, who spoke with LEADERSHIP expressed their joy and thanked the UNESCO, SAMSUNG and Microsoft for coming up with the programme to empower the youth.
One of the participants, Abubakar Sadiq Garba, said he achieved a lot in the course of the programme. “At the end of this programme, I have been able to build phone application and design beautiful websites. My next line of action is to build on what I have learnt here and acquired more skills”.
Another participant, Blessing Olorungbemi said she has now been equipped to face the ICT world.
“I have achieved more than I expected. I came here to sharpen my computer skills but I ended up knowing how to create a website and developing a mobile applications”.
The Consultant in charge of the training, Akindayo Akindolani, said the programme is geared towards getting. The youths to acquire more skills in ICT.
According to him, it is basically for youths so. That they can be assisted to upgrade their skills in their respective fields.
He said, “Right now some of them have learnt a lot and are able to developapplications which they can apply in their various fields and businesses. All they need now is to start marketing themselves to make money. The next thing is to start working together to harness each other’s potentials to take them to the next level. All these are towards equipping the youth in other not to depend on the government for employment. With this, they can be their own boss and employers of labor and sustain themselves and their family”.
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