NEDC Establishes Centers To Graduate 36,000 Youths on ICT Every Year
The Northeast Development Commission (NEDC) has set up 18 ICT Resource Centers across the six states of the geopolitical zone to coach at least 36,000 youths on ICT annually, the Managing Director and CEO, Mohammed Alkali, has said.
Each ICT resource centre is expected to graduate at least 2000 young persons in different aspects of computer and internet-based knowledge after which they graduated with starter packs.
The MD NEDC mentioned this during day 2 of the unveiling of interventions around Borno state by the minister of the mother ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Sadiya Farouq.
Delivering a speech during the presentation of starter packs to the beneficiaries of the latest Batch of the ICT training programme, in Maiduguri, the MD NEDC noted that the Commission has made it a deliberate policy to empower the youth with knowledge of ICT which is a key driver of development in the modern world.
MD Mohammed Alkali noted that each of the six states of the zone has three ICT training centres where eligible youth are trained on vacations like graphic designs, mobile phone repairs, satellite TV services etc.
He said the idea was for each zone to produce 2000 ICT-trained youth who would have means of employment and thereby reducing unemployment in the society.
The minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Nasir Sani-Gwarzo commended the Commission on the initiative noting that ICT if well used provides better opportunities for young people in education as well as in business.
He noted that he was attracted to a young woman in Borno state who sells caps online and had patronised her for all his caps without knowing her physically.
Governor of Borno state Babagana Zulum, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Professor Isa-Marte Husseini congratulated the graduands even as he implored them to make judicious use of the knowledge gained and put the starter packs given to them to advance their businesses.
The high point of the event was the presentation of certificates to the graduand who also went home with a full pack of tools and kits needed for them to start a business.
In continuation of the unveiling of intervention projects, the NEDC had also handed over office equipment/items to
the Executive Secretary.
Command Science Secondary School, Auno.
