A serving member of the House of Representatives, who is also son of the Alaafin of Oyo, Honourable Akeem Adeyemi has touched lives of about 110 youths in his Oyo Federal Constituency with his recent digital capacity building scheme held during the week.
At the flagging off of the e-learning scheme held at the Federal College of Education (special) Oyo, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, said with improvements in digital connectivity, digital skills, digital financial services and other core areas of digital development, Nigeria can fully unleash new economic opportunities, create jobs and transform people’s lives.
He added that as the biggest economy in Africa with one of the largest populations of young people in the world, Nigeria is well-positioned to develop a strong digital economy, which would have a transformational impact on
the country.
Though the five-day programme was sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, Hon Adeyemi facilitated it as part of his responsibilities to his people.
The minister, represented by the Ministry Chief Technical Officer, Oluwole Majekodunmi, commended the initiative of the Buhari-led administration for creating 100 million jobs, out of which 10 million would be handled by agencies of the Ministry for the youths, describing it as desirable efforts to migrate the nation to a digital economy.
He urged the participants to maximize the opportunity given to them, pointing out that the implementation of the strategy had started.
He stressed that by the end of the decade, the Federal Government expects every Nigerian to have been computer literate, owning a digital device (which the agencies in the Ministry have been assisting to facilitate), having access to the Internet, owning a bank account that can be accessed and operated digitally and online.
In his welcome address, honourable Adeyemi said the present administration recognizes the role of youths as major drivers of the country economy and being pivotal to the nation’s future.
He observed that the global pandemic, COVID-19, which necessitated the need for digital transformation and alternative means of achieving the country’s objective, propelled him to facilitate the training programme, with the aims of maximizing fully potentials of the youths in Digital Marketing, Leadership Enhancement, Networking, Adapting and leveraging on new technologies for effective e-commerce and e-marketing opportunities.
He announced the establishment of an ICT computer centre for the Federal College of Education (special) just as he disclosed that the bill for the upgrade of the college, which is first of its kind, to a degree-awarding one has reached the second reading at the National Assembly.
Adeyemi had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi (III).
In his address, Oba Adeyemi urged the Federal Government to ensure that online communications and transactions be encouraged.
He also called on the government to ensure taxes and prices come down, because when prices come down, demand goes up and entrepreneurs make more profit by the sheer increase in the volume of trade.
The paramount ruler said it is simple economics, pointing out that the second mainstay of the digital economy policy is
Digital Literacy and Skills, as he emphasised the importance of this pillar, saying that the digital economy is unrealisable without skills.
He appreciated the government on different sections of the population targeted for training and retraining,
which included, women, youths, journalists, civil servants and those who are certificated but unemployed.
Alaafin said that he was optimistic that, at least, 90 percent of Nigerians would be digitally literate by the end of the decade.
This, he postulated, is because all agencies in the Ministry will be involved in series of training and retraining as much as the financial circumstances of the nation permit.
The royal father emphasised that digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship are particularly important in ensuring increase in Nigeria’s GDP.
He explained that Nigeria is blessed, and needs to leverage the potential to ensure her teeming youths acquire enduring “skills that will make them to be potential employers rather than potential employees”.
Oba Adeyemi was later presented with a brand new HP laptop and two Ipads.
Highlights of the training programme included the presentation of certificates and brand new HP laptops to each of the participants.
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