300 graduates undergo training at Enugu Digital Bridge Institute

About three hundred unemployed graduates from Awgu/Aninri/Oji River Federal Constituency in Enugu state, have been prepared to undergo three to six months intensive training of digital technology at the federal government's Digital Bridge Institute Enugu.

The youths would be trained on Digital Marketing, Software Development and Cyber Security and have the prospect of instant employment apart from the training allowances.

The trainees will be part of the 50,000 Nigerians targeted to gain digital skills within the next two years to drive the technological advancement that would boost the nation's economy.

Speaking at the orientation ceremony for the training programme at Mile 2, Oji River, Oji River local government area of Enugu State, during the weekend, the Sponsor and Facilitator of the Programme, Dr. Ezenwa A. A. Oyirimba, said that the training is being organized because the future of the world lied in technological development.

Oyirimba, who is the National Director of Youths and Student of All Progressive Congress, APC, also said that it was important that youths from the Federal Constituency benefit from the training and key into the emerging globalisation through technological skills.

"We all know that the future is technology. When COVID-19 came, it brought innovation. People could be in their house and do business," he said and urged the lucky trainees to take their training serious for the accruing future benefits.

The youth leader noted that India is currently dominating the 'digital space' but posited that youths from Enugu could equally launch into the space.

"In Greater Awgu we have youths who are willing to learn. In the global space, India is controlling the digital space but this can be done here in Greater Awgu," he said.

Encouraging the participants to be serious with their training, Oyirimba volunteered to pay their registration fees, assuring them that, "after the training, they will engage some of you who are serious with their training."

The Zonal Chairman/Head of the Enugu Campus of the Enugu Digital Bridge Institute, Engr. Daniel Chinagozie, who represented the President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute, Daser David, said that they have centres in Lagos, Yola, Kano and Enugu with a view to training and launching about 50,000 youths into the digital technology.

"What we are training is young people. We are targeting and engaging about 50,000 youths within the next two years across Nigeria. Our plan is to train them on skills like processing and outsourcing skills. These are skills our partners in US and other countries have need of.

"We are training them on digital marketing, software development and cyber security such that they can work in cyber security operations centres across the country. The interest is that we have seen that technology is one of the platforms that employs the highest number of people.

"Our mandate is to train enough technological people that can run our economy," Chinagozie said and expressed joy that youths from Greater Awgu are being offered the opportunity to share in the opportunities that technology offers.

The chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, Barr. Ugochukwu Agballa, who represented the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Nnaji, said that the training programme is being done in line with the renewed hope agenda of Mr. President which digital technology development is part of.

Encouraging the youths to take their training serious, Agballa said that digital technology was bringing about a new civilization and there is need for Nigerian youths to key in.

"Technology is the new civilization. We are in the verge of a new civilization, a civilization that can only be likened to supernatural. It is a new realm that is opening up," he said pointing out that technology is controlling the world economy.

"The tech world controls 29% of the world economy which is unprecedented since the beginning of civilization. There is no sector that is contributing more than 10% to the world economy but technology is contributing 29% and it is growing. It is important that we key into this new convergence - convergence of robotics, convergence of robotics with AI and Cyber Security," he said, thereby urging the youths to sit up.

Agballa said that the programme was for all the youths from the Greater Awgu irrespective of their political leaning though being powered by APC.