The Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, has flagged-off the ‘Skill-up Imo Project’ organised by the Ministry of Digital Economy and E-Government targeted at training more than 100,000 youths of the state in digital skills on entry and advance levels.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony which held in Owerri, the state capital, Uzodimma urged the youths to embrace the programme for their gains.
Uzodimma said that the world economy is changing very fast and 95 per cent of the world economy is now digital and “the only market available today for any business to thrive is digital market.”
He said that his interest as governor of Imo State and in the future development of the state rests in the youths, asserting that his belief is dependent on the fact that “when you develop and prepare the youths you have developed the state and if you jettison the youths then you have jettisoned the state.”
There is “no government infrastructure that is as important as development of the youths.”
He reiterated that the major ideas that rule the world today are digital economy, climate change and carbon-credit, hence the “need to re-align ourselves so that we can get to the global destination.”
Governor Uzodimma told the youths to understand that the digital programme they are getting into is a road to the digital world and a form of finishing school notwithstanding ones profession.
He then advised them to choose among the several programmes and master them as an opportunity to key into the digital world economy.
Governor Uzodimma promised the participants that once they graduate they will have equipment from the state government to start practicing.
“This is because our government is already working with international companies such as Apple, Zinox Computers and others to partner the state government in getting the graduate youths engaged on the acquired skills.”
He assured them that there are ready made jobs out there that would promptly engage some of them who learnt technical skills such as repair of telephones, iPads and others on graduation.
The governor further noted that “the primary objectives of the programme include; reduction in crime, criminality and idleness and making the youths to be more focused.”
He emphasised and also warned that the skill-up programme is not about politics.
He said, “It is for the development of the youths, the development of their lives, the lives of their families and that of the state in general. When the state achieves this laudable programme, Imo will be peaceful and the youths of Imo State will come up to be role models in Nigeria and Africa in general.”
In his address of welcome, the Commissioner for Digital Economy and E- Government, Chimezie Amadi, explained that ‘Skill-up Imo Project’ is a programne conceived by Governor Uzodimma which is specially designed to provide free training and support to 100,000 Imolites, particularly the youths, in new, innovative, and economically viable skills needed for them to be productively employed or self-employed.
He noted that the first set of 5,000 learners would be engaged for training for 12 weeks in various areas of application which include – Web Development, Business Innovation, Mobile App Development, Cybersecurity and Forensics, Networking and Hardware, and Engineering. Others include; Robotics and Mechatronics, 3D Technology, Drone Technology, Social Media and Digital Marketing and Animation and Multimedia among others.
He therefore thanked the governor for thinking it wise to establish the ministry as the first of its kind in any state of the federation with the objective of reducing crime and criminality, improving economy and connecting Imo State to the outside world.
