Umuahia North Local Government Area in Abia State has entered a partnership with GetBundi Education Technology to educate as many as 1000 Umuahia North youths with various digital skill sets.
The programme, which is open to young men and women from Umuahia North LGA aged 18-35 will cover digital skill courses that will make them job ready in the areas of Web Development, Coding, Video Editing, Coding, Cybersecurity, and Data Analytics etc. As industries increasingly embrace digitization, the demand for individuals proficient in digital skills has continued to surge as they play a crucial role in shaping labour markets and contributing to the growth of economies. This programme is designed to enhance the competitiveness of Umuahia North youths and to empower them to contribute to technological advancements and economic growth of Abia State.
According to the Mayor of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Hon High Chief Victor Ikeji, “acquiring digital skills is crucial for our youths today as it opens opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship, global connectivity and competitiveness in an increasingly digital world. We want our youths to be successful, especially in the digital skill landscape, so that they can contribute meaningful to the development of Abia State”.
“I thank God who it pleased at this time of Abia’s history to give us a visionary Governor like His Excellency, Dr. Alex Otti OFR. A governor with a clear-cut vision on how to fix Abia State. His directive to us as his messengers is clear: do everything you can to improve the lives of our people, create an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, and make our youths employable. “
“My Governor’s commitment to promoting STEM education, science, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and job opportunities in the state by equipping Abia youths with the knowledge, expertise, and practical skills in various core and advanced digital skills is one key area we at Umuahia North local government area have keyed in.”
“As a local government, we will not stop in equipping our youths with the right digital skill sets until we start exporting home-grown digital talents from Abia State. My team and I look forward to witnessing the transformative impact this partnership with GetBundi Education Technology, an institution of higher learning approved by the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Board for Technical Education will have on the lives of participants, entrepreneurship, and the innovation ecosystem in the state, he said.”
Founder of GetBundi, Mr Osita Oparaugo, in his response stated that the platform is designed to address the shortage of qualified professionals in digital technologies and other relevant areas that can impede businesses’ ability to harness the full potential of the digital landscape across Africa. Acquiring digital skills is crucial for African youths in today’s world as it enhances employability, fosters innovation, and promotes economic development. Mr Oparaugo emphasized that without digital skill sets, Nigerian youths, Abia State youths inclusive, will be less competitive in the global market, while with our numbers in Umuahia North and indeed across Nigeria, they should dominate the digital workspace.
According to some research works, over the next 10 years, 9 out of 10 jobs will require some form of digital skills. Let’s empower our youths with digital skills to prepare them to be globally competitive, GetBundi founder concluded.
