A training programme to empower some young people in the north has seen 900 participants getting trained on digital skills. The training – Click-On Kaduna – was organised by the state government in partnership with Digital Naija, to bridge the youth unemployment gap, particularly in Northern Nigeria with a focus on empowering women.
Organized by the Kaduna State Government with the support of the World Bank and the Rockefeller Foundation amongst others, the workshop which according to organisers, hosted over 900 participants had representations from not only Kaduna. There were participants from Kano and Plateau states, coming to tap into the huge economic and social benefits available in a digital economy.
A statement after the training, noted that there were representatives of the Elance platform at the venue, to take beneficiaries through different sessions about the virtual space. Professional Freelancers took the participants on Elance strategies and platforms, pricing, negotiation and payment methods.
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There were also breakout sessions, which saw every participant to a computer, to enable them create freelancing profiles on the international and local Elance platforms.
Mohammed Abdullahi, commissioner for Budget and Planning, Kaduna State in an opening speech, congratulated the participants on taking the huge step to be part of the workshop as the next step to self-reliance. In his remarks two day later, when the training had been concluded, Abdullahi, urged the beneficiaries to make the best use of the skills learned, not only to earn income but create more jobs. He expressed appreciation to the World Bank team, the Rockefeller Foundation, Digital Naija and other partners that made the workshop a success.
Nasir El-Rufai, the Kaduna State Governor, also visited in the course of the programme while participants were on a breakout session. Lauding the efforts of Click-On Kaduna initiative, El-Rufai said the workshop will make the participants globally competitive with other ICT experts in the world.
On his part, Rachid Benmessaoud, the World Bank country director, Nigeria, African Region pledged on the last day of the programme, that the World Bank would support the effort of the Kaduna State Government in equipping the youth with digital skills, to tap from the income generation potential of the virtual economy. In the same vein, Hafsat Baba Mohammed, the state’s Commissioner of Women Affairs, encouraged beneficiaries to connect with themselves, share opportunities and experiences, in order to make the best of the newly imparted knowledge.
