July 13, 2018

No fewer than 1000 youths in Osun will be trained on Information and Communication Technology by the state government in partnership with a firm, America Tower Company (ATC).

Remi Omowaiye, the State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, disclosed this on Friday during the inauguration of the e-Learning centres in Ikire, Ikirun, Ede, Ilesha and Ila areas of the state.

Omowaiye said that the 1000 youths in the five communities would be trained on computer and software programming for them to be self -employed.

The commissioner said that the vision of the state government in the establishment of the Digital Village to be named Osun Coding Academy was to make the state an Information Technology hub of the country.

Omowaiye said that the Digital villages were constructed and equipped by ATC Nigeria with the support of the state government.

He said that five out of nine centres approved by the state government had been built, equipped and handed over to the government by ATC Nigeria at no cost.

He said the e-learning centres would be offering intensive computer and software programming for the youths.

Omowaiye said that the state government was passionate about youth development and empowerment, promising that Digital villages would be extended to other communities with the help of ATC Nigeria.

The commissioner commended ATC Nigeria for the gesture, saying that the training would assist in reducing youth unemployment in the state.

Earlier, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by Sen. Mudasiru Hussein, the Acting Secretary to the State Government, while performing the inauguration, also commended ATC Nigeria for the gesture.

Aregbesola said that the training, aimed at assisting the youths to be self-employed without looking for white collar jobs, was in line with the state government’s desire to make Osun the ICT hub of the country after a successful launch of Opon Imo in 2013.

Mrs Gloria Eyineyie, the ATC Training Centres Project Coordinator, said the company was planning to create Digital villages across Nigeria, and Osun was the first beneficiary of the project.

Eyineyie said that the construction of the Digital villages was part of the social responsibility of the company to the host communities.

Also, Mr Muyideen Salau, ATC Power Solution Specialist, explained that the inauguration of the learning centres was part of the three years celebration of the company in Nigeria.

Salau said the company values relationship with its host communities, and the ICT centres were established to train youths for them to be self-reliant and employers of labour.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Digital villages were equipped with computers, power back-up system, internet and other training facilities.