NCC commits to digital job creation, trains over 2,000 youths

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its commitment to job creation in the country with more focus on youths development. NCC said while one of the pillars of the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030), which is to further accelerate economic growth in digital literacy and skills, the commission is fully committed to the effective and efficient implementation of the Federal Government’s policy direction in repositioning the youth for the digital era job opportunities through a programme, tagged: “Digital Job Creation for Youths (DJCY).”

In a statement signed by the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, the commission said over 2,000 youths have, so far, benefited from the programme from the six geopolitical zones of the country, while the ongoing edition has 600 youths being trained.

Danbatta said the DJCY programme is designed to enhance the skills of youths across all the six geopolitical zones through customised training and offer of fully-loaded laptop computers with networking devices, to equip them for the purposes of engaging in different digital entrepreneurship businesses that they may chose.

He said the beneficiaries are provided with free accommodation facilities for two weeks, during which resource persons in digital skills, business development and management are engaged to retool them with their laptops to re-orientate them towards self-discovery,self-development and self-employment.

According to him, some of the objectives of the DJCY include to remould youths with other skills with information and communication technology (ICT) proficiency to fit into the digital economy, as well as strengthen technical and scientific competences among the youths with a view to creating opportunities for self-employment.

It is also designed to improve access to ICT-enabled services, such as banking and strengthen the ICT micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector of the economy.

The NCC EVC said the DJCY relies on the provisions of NDEPS 2020-2030, which encourage the promotion of digital literacy and skills through “massive training of Nigerians from all walks of life to enable them to obtain digital literacy and other digital skills.”

Danbatta said hundreds of the participants in the previous two editions have reported gainful self-employments, using the laptops and Internet connectivity tools provided by the commission.

“It is gratifying to note that the commission has, through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, received the commendations of the Federal Government for the way and manner it had efficiently and effectively designed, as well as implemented this programme for the benefit of the Nigerian youths,” he stated.

As such, he said the commission restates its commitment to the programme as a result of the positive feedbacks from the previous editions and the potentials it has in enhancing the digital opportunities of the youth for the benefit of the nation’s digital economy.