SDGs Office/ Kano State Govt. Train 7, 000 Youths On ICT

The Office of Senior Special Assistant to the Nigerian President on Sustain­able Development Goals (SDGs) in collaboration with Kano state government have sponsored 7,000 youths to undergo a one-day training on digital skills.

The training, conducted at six centers in the state, was conducted by Google, through their vendor, Mind-the-Gap Foundation, underthe theme “Diversifying the Nigerian Economy: Enabling Youth Through Digital Skills Training”.

Declaring the training open at the Coronation Hall Cnter, the Kano state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje who declared the training session open said the pro­gramme was designed to empower youths to become self-reliant and re­alize their full potentials in a world that is ICT driven.

“This programme, which is in collaboration with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on sustainable Development Goals, is part of our determination at re-invigorating the business environment which illustrates the strategic focus on this endeavour”, he pointed out.

In addition, he stated that his administration is working with the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment for the implementation of the federal government Special Intervention Project, known as N-Power, aimed at creating job opportunities and wealth creation among our teeming unemployed youths.

“Part of the motive for or­ganizing the empowerment programme is to get rid of poverty, upgrade Kano youths for them to contend with their contemporaries from other climes. We hope that this will accord them the knowledge with which to shun anti societal vic­es and engage themselves in meaning and productive ventures”, he stated.

He maintained that on its part, the state government has initiated several empowerment programmes aimed at making youths in the state employable and employers of labour, thereby adding value to the economy.

“The government of Kano state is also constructing a multi-billion naira Integrated Skill Acquisition Centre along Zaria Road in the state with a view to filling in the gaps in the trades and services such as electric wiring, plumbing, mechanics, and masonry etc, offered in the state which requires citizens’ participation”, he pointed out.

The Senior Special Assis­tant to President Buhari on SDG’s, Princess Adejoke Orelope Ad­efulire, represented by Alhaji Waziri Laminu announced that the programme aims to “train over 125,000 Nigeria youth across the country, on digital skills ranging from content creation, digital strategy, web design, social media to application development”, adding that Kano was allotted the highest number of 7,000 due to the strategic importance.

She, therefore, enjoined beneficiaries of the programme to take advantage of the training to establish a career in the digital space, boost their businesses online, and acquire new skills that will open up new job opportunities.