The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has launched a comprehensive initiative to train 30 million youths on digital economy skills.
The partnership, which was formalised at the NYSC Secretariat in Abuja, seeks to bridge the digital divide and empower the next generation to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
The initiative will focus on providing practical training in key areas such as software development, data analytics, cybersecurity and digital marketing, officials said in Abuja.
It aims to reach 30 million of Nigerian youths, including NYSC members, with the goal of equipping them with skills necessary for the digital economy by 2027, they added.
Speaking on the importance of digital literacy, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, emphasised leveraging on technology to enhance productivity and digital skills.
He said, “We have set up the team working with your team to explore how you can infuse technology into the NYSC process, experiment emerging technologies like block chain to secure NYSC certificates and build digital skills capacity among corps members. Today, we are here on the bigger mission.”
On his part, the Minister of State for Youth, Ayodele Olawande Wisdom, commended the collaboration, while emphasising unity of purpose in achieving shared goals.
The Director General of NYSC, Brig Gen YD Ahmed, in his response, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative and NYSC’s readiness to fully engage.
He said, “This process for us in NYSC is a very good one, and there is no any iota of doubt we are going to fully collaborate with NITDA to grab the process,” he assured.
