FG, Huawei invest over N100m to train 41 Niger Delta youths

By EMEKA AGINAM

Efforts to redirect Nigerian youths and arm them with IT skills and knowledge for global competitiveness have started yielding the expected results as the Federal Government in partnership with Huawei Nigeria have invested over one million dollars into a six-month vocational training for   forty-one Niger Delta youths.

The training takes place at the Huawei Global Training Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The 41 beneficiaries of the special scholarship program left the country on Sunday for Malaysia. The beneficiaries had already undergone a two-week orientation and basic ICT training to develop their ICT skills.


It is expected that at the end of the training in many areas including telecom technical training, practical sessions, Telecom certification, internship and entrepreneurial skills training, these young Nigerians will return to the country to apply the skills acquired to make a difference in the development of Nigeria.

The trainees at the completion of the program will have the opportunity to be employed in Nigerian ICT companies, IT departments in other industries or start their own business with the skills acquired from the capacity building program.

Speaking on behalf of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Hon. Kingsley Kuku, the Technical Adviser to the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Mr. Lawrence Pepple, informed that the program is part of the strategy of his office to empower Nigerian youths with technology skills for global competitiveness.

Pepple said that Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta affairs is committed to the Federal Government’s efforts in ICT skill- acquisition. “We are partnering Huawei to engage and empower young people to enhance their contribution to national development,” he said.

“We are planting this seed of technology in you for the future. Be our Ambassadors in Malaysia. Do us proud. Do Nigeria proud. Do Niger Delta proud. Your destiny is in your hands. When you come back, turn your ideas to reality. Use it to better yourselves and the society at large” he told the youths.

For the General Manager of Huawei Nigeria, Mr. Julius Akhalumenyo, the training was part of Huawei’ commitment to enabling more Nigerian youths to involve in the ICT industry.

“ICT has the transforming power to accelerate the development of a country by helping its youths to be more efficient and effective in their jobs, careers and business, and to generate new employment opportunities. It also has the potential to significantly contribute to increasing the social welfare of the country in general.

“We wish these young talents will play a leading role in the future to serve the ICT industry and to serve the country. It is part of Huawei’s global ‘Telecom Seeds for the Future’ campaign.

Culled from www.vanguardngr.com