The federal government announced on Tuesday that it has trained 790 children in three states in emerging technologies as part of its goal of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030.
Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), announced this at an award ceremony in Port Harcourt to celebrate the completion of training for 177 children and teens.
Abuja (282) and Jigawa (331) are two other states that have profited from the training.
Inuwa, who was represented by Sam Sambo, NITDA's Zonal Coordinator for South-South, stated that the training was done in partnership with the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI).
Inuwa stated that the initiative would alleviate the country's unemployment problem by providing young Nigerians with the necessary skills.
“Children between the ages of eight and 16 years were trained in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Drone Technologies, Extended Reality, Digital Communication, and Internet of Things.
"Others are 3D Design, Coding and Virtual Reality, as part of NITDA’s Stem Bootcamp for Kids (SB4Kids) program.
“The Federal Government is committed to catching our children young as part of efforts to address the unemployability gap in the country.”
Inuwa expressed confidence that the 'catch them young' programme would produce favourable effects, especially as the globe evolved and prepared for coming technology.
According to him, since 2021, the agency has trained a total of 1,954 youngsters in emerging technologies across four states and the FCT in Abuja.
“In 2023 alone, we trained 282 boys and girls from the ages of eight to 16 years in Abuja; 331 in Jigawa, and 177 in Port Harcourt.
"We commend the University of Port Harcourt for collaborating with us and making sure that the future of our children is safe,” he said.
Prof. Bourdillion Omijeh, Director of the Centre for Information and Telecommunications Engineering (CITE), stated during the event that the programme was aimed to alleviate unemployment in the country.
He disclosed that the pupils have been given the technology skills and knowledge required to establish future employment.
“However, when you look at our university system in Nigeria, we have lots of first-class and second-class holders without jobs.
"So, the question is how do we bridge the gap, and how do we create jobs and entrepreneurs in the country? What we are advocating for is simply: learning and earning.
“We want our children, while undergoing training, to develop skills, so that at the point of their graduation from the university they will have both a degree and professional certification,” he said.
Prof. Owunari Georgewill, Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), for his part, said the training was in line with his vision for a 'Total Education' for both adults and children.
He praised the trainees for their digital ingenuity and advised them to use their newfound knowledge wisely to establish a better life for themselves and their family.
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