UNDP fellowship to engage 1000 Imo skill-up graduates

As part of the efforts of the Imo State government to create wealth and curb unemployment, the Ministry of Digital Economy and e-Government has attracted the attention of a fellowship of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is ready to engage 1000 graduates of the Skill-Up Imo Project for one year.

Already, the UNDP has made an offer of a monthly allowance of N100,000 that would be paid to the lucky graduates. Hope Uzodinma, governor of Imo State, disclosed the development in Owerri during the State Executive Council Meeting.

He stated that his government had recently been urged by delegates from the University of California and the Silicon Valley for partnership, following his establishment and investment in a massive digital ecosystem in Owerri where the youth are trained on digital skills.

Declan Emelumba, Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Public Orientation, who briefed journalists, said that the UNDP Fellowship would also rub off on the state ministries as those who would be recruited will help in training civil servants as well as make them digitally compliant and more resourceful.

He explained that the fellowship shows how far the skill acquisition programme has gone to attract global attention, particularly the interest they have in deploying the beneficiaries to ministries, departments and agencies of the government to beef up the digital knowledge of the personnel.

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The commissioner said that the Federal and Imo State governments would be signing memorandum of understanding with the University of California and Silicon Valley, both in the United States of America, to turn Imo Digital City into the digital hub of West Africa, showing that the digital revolution in the state is getting international recognitions.

He noted further that the state has been selected to participation in a joint effort with other oil producing states to review and recover revenue due to them from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited since 1999.

In addition, Emelumba gave the green light for the development of a Special Energy Free Zone in partnership with development partners, and that the Exco had approved the establishment of a joint venture company to manage Acharugbo Farms and Nsu Tiles Production in partnership with Jampur Group and Agro Mechanics and Allied Services Limited.

“These initiatives demonstrate the state government’s commitment to driving economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and improving the overall well-being of the citizens,” he said.

Furthermore, the Exco also approved the setting up of necessary mechanisms to launch the Imo State Industrial Development Fund for the development of industries in the state as well as approved the forensic enumeration of industries and inventory of oil sites and solid minerals across the state, among other approvals.