Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has reiterated the Commission’s commitment to digital job creation for youths in Nigeria.
In line with the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030), which aims to accelerate economic growth in digital literacy and skills, the NCC is dedicated to implementing the Federal Government’s policy direction of repositioning youths for job opportunities in the digital era through a program called Digital Job Creation for Youths (DJCY).
According to Danbatta, the DJCY program has benefited over 2,000 Nigerian youths across the six geopolitical zones of the country, while the ongoing edition has 600 youths being trained.
The program offers customised training to enhance the skills of youths, and participants are provided with fully-loaded laptop computers with networking devices to equip them for different digital entrepreneurship businesses.
Furthermore, the program also aims to improve access to ICT-enabled services such as banking and strengthen the ICT micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) sector of the economy.
Beneficiaries are provided with free accommodation facilities for two weeks, during which resource persons in digital skills, business development, and management engage them to retool them with their laptops and re-orientate them towards self-discovery, self-development, and self-employment.
Danbatta stated that the DJCY program’s objectives include remoulding youths with other skills with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) proficiency to fit into the digital economy, strengthening technical and scientific competencies among the youths, and creating opportunities for self-employment.
The NCC boss revealed that hundreds of participants in the previous two editions have reported gainful self-employment, using the laptops and internet connectivity tools provided by the Commission.
He added that the program 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 expressed his satisfaction with the program’s positive feedback from previous editions and the potential it has in enhancing the digital opportunities for Nigerian youths for the benefit of the nation’s digital economy.
He also commended the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, for the commendations the Commission has received from the Federal Government for efficiently and effectively designing and implementing the program for the benefit of Nigerian youths.
