THE National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed readiness to bridge the unemployment gap in the country with the target of 3700 jobs from various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) initiatives.
NITDA’s plan on job creation was unveiled on Monday in Lagos by the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Cleopas Angaye, while declaring open the ICT Youth Empowerment Scheme (YES) 2012.
According to Angaye, who was represented by the Agency’s Director, Corporate Strategy and Research Dept, Mr. Emeka Ezekwesili, noted that the efforts of the commission was already yielding result especially with the increase in the level of ICT penetration and development in public and private sectors as well as educational institutions.
Explaining the YES initiative, the NITDA’s DG said the present scheme was a pilot programme, which is ongoing in Lagos and Abuja, with plans of extension to other states of the federation already in place.
According to him, the agency was currently training about 110 participants on web technology and entrepreneurship in Lagos and Abuja respectively, who were selected based on performance from about 3500 applicants.
“The YES initiative targets employment creation from all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Our target is to create about 3700 ICT jobs with empowerment benefits. We planned creating 100 jobs from each state in the next one year and that will be about 3700. This is going to be yearly”, he stated.
The NITDA DG said the deliverable of the programme was to fulfill one of NITDA’s mandates of ICT related carrier, develop skills in web design and hosting, adding that the scheme will also enhance job creation with the equipping of the best participants individuals with startup tools, which will in no small means contribute to the Federal government transformation agenda.
Angaye said IT assists in developing globally competitive human capital as it now plays a key role especially in the field of teaching aids, research and online education and with the opportunity to secure employment and provides information on available job opportunities.
“NITDA has an ongoing foreign Post Graduate Scholarship Scheme, which is an opportunity to deserving young Nigerian; two from eastern state of the federation for Masters Program and two from each of the six geopolitical zones for PhD programme in ICT and ICT related fields.
“NITDA intervenes in tertiary institution in the area of provision of ICT infrastructures to enhance teaching and learning. Also we facilitate train the trainer programme for university lecturers on current IT trend and development”, he stated.
On his part, the Deputy Director, Corporate Strategy at the Agency, Dr. Vincent Olatunji said if other sectors can create initiatives such as that of NITDA, “We are sure of reducing unemployment in Nigeria and set the country on growth path for competitive development.”
Source: ngrguardiannews.com