From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF), in partnership with Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative, formerly, Democratic Action Group, (DAG) and Action Aid will set up ICT kiosks for 120 youths in Kano state.
Anicetus Atakpu, Resilience Programme Coordinator of Action Aid, disclosed this in an interview with journalists at the launch of One -week Digital Skills Training for youths, held in Kano yesterday.
He explained that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) kiosks would be set up at the 6 project Local Governments of the state.
According to him, each of the 6 Local Governments would get the kiosks at two of its project communities, adding that each kishka would be manned by 10 beneficiaries.
Atakpu said the beneficiaries would use the kiosks, which would be equiped with computer sets, as a means of improving their ICT skills and earning a living.
“The computer chiosk at project communities are geared towards creating job opportunity and income generating businesses for the beneficiaries after the week-long training.
“Whatever they get at the business centre it is theirs, aimed at improving their IT skills and their socioeconomic status. You know, the objective of this this initiative is to empower the youths, to take their attention off political thuggery and other crimes,” he said.
On the objective of the training, Atakpu states that It is going to be a rigorous and thorough training process.
He explained that the NGOs had received over 500 applications for the training but decided to narrow it down to120 participants.
According to him, the aim of the training is geared towards enhancing the capacity of youths on ICT for development, to be able to improve their entrepreneurship skills, abilities and opportunities.
“We are aware that everything now, including education, have been digitalized- Their academic registration like JAMB, SSCE, NECO up to the level of clearance and other activities are online.
“It would be used in equiping them to venture into digital entrepreneurship, prepare them for digital jobs. We feel that it is s time to make them digitally entrepreneurs in order to provide job opportunities for them,” he said.
In her part, Yetunde Adekoge, National Coordinator of GCERF, Nigeria said the training is in a pilot stage, adding that it would be expanded to the whole states of the Federation if the current one is successful.
She added that GCERF decided to start with Kano as the most populous state in Nigeria, noting that the youths in the state need to be empowered in order to make them productive in the society.
She assured that the programme would be held across the country in a bid to improve the livelihood of the youths.
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