Wale Jagun
-100 Ikorodu youths to benefit
NIIT, a leading skill and talent development institute in Information Technology (IT), has resolved to take 2000 unemployed and underemployed youths off the Lagos Street by training them and making them employable.
100 participants from Ikorodu are to benefit from the training programme tagged, ‘Steet2Click’, and targeted at assisting unemployed and educationally disadvantaged youths by offering them IT training and imparting in them skills that would position them for employment in big firms.
Representatives of the NIIT visited the Ayangbure palace during the week to seek support of the royal father, His Royal Majesty, Oba Kabir Shotobi, for the success of the programme which, according to the organisers, was initiated due to the fallouts of the #EndSARS protest that occurred last year.
Oba Shotobi, who is passionate and compassionately committed to the wellbeing of youths in his kingdom, pleaded with the NIIT officials to allow graduates that are not yet employed to benefit from the computer training programme to enable them acquire employable skills.
Mr Jimoh Akeem, the Head, NIIT Foresoft Systems Limited, Surulere Centre, while appreciating the Ayangbure of Ikorodu for the opportunity of the visit, added that they visited the palace for the purpose of introducing the training programme to the monarch and his people.
“We have come to the palace to inform our Oba that we have a special programme for the youths, tagged, ‘Street2Click’ for the youths.
“It is different from all other kinds of categories of programmes we have been running in the past. This particular programme emerged as a result of the #EndSARS protest and because of that, we decided that there is need to get across to the grassroots people that are less privileged and less opportuned.
“In view of this, we have prepared different types of programmes that are different from all packages we are running in our centre. We have decided to run this programme for 2000 people across Lagos State. We are here to meet with the Kabiyesi and explain criteria for the programme in terms of those that are qualified to participate.
He said that NIIT has also considered and included unemployed graduates into the program as advised by Oba Shotobi
He said that the plan is to secure job placement for beneficiaries at the end of the training, while also appealing for sponsorship since the IT company cannot do it all by itself.
Mrs Naomi Job Kalu, the Project Coordinator, ‘Streets2Click’, also speaking, said that the training is for “those on the streets without care, shelter and those who have shelter but not employed or are underemployed”.
She said that NIIT is taking IT to the streets for youths to have access to training and use acquired knowledge for employment.
“My colleague has told you about what we do and what we intend doing. This particular scheme is unique and people ask what makes it unique. Everywhere in the country, there is a scheme, even the Lagos state government is in a scheme and also this particular scheme too.
“It is unique because of the demography of the youths we are looking for and it is for the youths who are not employed and who cannot acquire education and are within the age range of 18 to 40.
“We are bringing this scheme to Ikorodu to accommodate youths. We are not just to train them for 6 weeks but to also give them employment.
He added that NIIT, through its numerous programmes, is creating IT experts that would be major players in IT business in Africa and the world at large.
“Africa is just a consumer of technology and the idea is to ensure that in the next decade, we will be major players and people will come down to Africa to ask questions on how we created this technology”, she said.
The Ayangbure of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Shotobi, in his royal remarks, thanked the IT company for the initiative and appealed to beneficiaries from Ikorodu to take advantage of the opportunity and should not disappoint him.
“I want to use this opportunity to appeal to my children to make use of this opportunity very well and I will from time to time visit the venue to see how you are progressing and I am going to be on standby regarding the shortcomings and areas where NIIT needs my support, even though they have not ask for anything.
“We have asked for 100 people (to be trained) and I believe that the majority of you here will be among the beneficiaries. But please, don’t disappoint me. Don’t make me come to the class and meet 20% or 30%. Let us give it our zeal and also total commitment and seriousness and God, in His infinite mercy, will bless us abundantly.
He enjoined participants to take good advantage of the programme and be good ambassadors of Ikorodu to encourage NIIT to come back and train more.
The Chief Learning Officer (CLO), Kith & Kin Educational Concept and former Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Asipa Kaoli, commended the partnership between the NIIT and the Ayangbure palace, a situation he described as an acknowledgement that the country has huge problems at hand due to myriad of challenges facing its teeming youths.
“I thank our Kabiyesi for bringing this kind of opportunity to Ikorodu and I must also thank the NIIT for this unique Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and for also choosing Ikorodu to benefit in the programme.
“There is no doubt that it is now glaring to the government, leaders and the society at large that the #EndSARS protest, which brought about this programme, presented a huge problem for Nigeria.
“If we say Lagos State has 20 million population, I am sure 10 million will be youths between ages 15-40 who are unemployed or under – employed.
Asipa Kaoli, emphasizing the importance of technology in every aspect of human lives, added that it has provided employment opportunities in countries with huge population like India and China.
He appealed to Ikorodu youths that will be participating in the programme to take it serious and be ready to impact the knowledge on others and make the town IT driven.
“So, I want to plead with our youths to be serious about the training programme. We are starting with 100 which can enrich thousands of people. Let us have it in our vision that we want to make Ikorodu the Silicon Valley of Nigeria. It is possible and it is doable. It is about the mindset.
“I pray all the 100 will succeed and tomorrow, we will be hearing the names of some of them among those who produce something (computer applications) unique. It is possible but you have to train for it. Be a person that will break that chain of poverty because when each of you get up, you will pull thousands of people up too and by that, the level of poverty will reduce”, Asipa Kaoli said.
Otunba Ganiyu Abiru, the Chairman, Ikorodu – Oga Development Association (IKODASS), described the development as a journey into prosperity for youths.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate you all because we are about to start a journey to prosperity. What we are doing today is to prepare you for the future. Your future is in your hands and this is an opportunity for you to make a headway in life”.
He corroborated Kaoli’s statements by stating that the #EndSARS protest was an eye opener for the country in addressing youth restiveness and unemployment before it degenerates.
“The #ENDSARS was a watershed in the history of this country, that protest has come to define the problems and challenges facing us, just as they say that poverty is the father of criminality. When you don’t have a job, you can be tempted to do something nefarious.
“The youths constitute over 65% of the population in Nigeria and when that sector of the demography of this nation is in problem, then, it means the entire nation is in problem. So, Kabiyesi and NIIT are now given us the opportunity to start a new cause by ourselves. Even graphic designers are making money depending on the complexity of the design. So, let’s use this opportunity to get it right.
“We must have a Silicon Valley in Ikorodu, there is one developed in Yaba and Ikeja. We must have our own in ikorodu. I can tell you for free that among those that are here today, some will make names in IT business and make lkorodu proud.
“We just want to appeal to you not to abuse this privilege given to you because you are not paying the people that will teach you. They are going to give their best in teaching you”, he further charged the participants.
