1,500 Students Get Training On Digital Economy In Ogun, Osun, Oyo

An information, communication and technology (ICT) impact group known as Tekisite has trained and empowered 1,500 students drawn from various secondary schools in Ogun, Osun and Oyo States.

1,500 Students Get Training On Digital Economy In Ogun, Osun, Oyo

The training which covers software development, digital marketing, photography, graphic design and product design forms part of efforts to redirect youths’ minds from cyber crimes and other social vices in the social space to useful and creative engagements.

The participants aged between 10 and 16 years, were selected from Alaye High School, Ayetoro; Pacesetters College, Ayetoro; Fortress College, Ijebu Ode; Nawairudeen High School, Abeokuta, Olaroyals School, Abeokuta in Ogun State; Sharon of Rose College, Saki; Faith Model College, Saki; Christ Grammar School, Saki in Oyo State and Kingswill College, Ife in Osun State.

The training was organised by Tekisite in partnership with Code Learners Hub, Pie Logistics, Tekinest, Menaget SPC, Halona Media, Gaffreaks Infosys, Reaching Minds Foundation and Ogun Tech Hub.

Speaking at the end of the two-week Bootcamp held at Ogun Tech Hub in Abeokuta, Tekisite Founder, Abass Oyeyemi, that the ICT training and youth empowerment would reasonably engage them in order to unlock opportunities that abound in the digital economy for the betterment of the country.

Oyeyemi, a law graduate from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, said that he was prompted to create an ICT training hub known as Tekisite as a result of the increasing rate of cyber crimes and social vices among teenagers and adolescents.

He said: “The intention of Tekisite and our group is to ensure that youths are caught young; it is to ensure that there is digital literacy in our Society. It seems youths and teenagers are not aware of opportunities in the digital economy, the only thing the youth seem to know is cybercrime and we must discourage that, cyber fraud and all kinds of corruption attached to ICT must be discouraged.

“That is the reason we want to change the orientation of the youth for the better, we have now started with three States in Southwest, we have started with Ogun, Osun and Oyo, we have trained 900 students in Ogun; 600 in both Oyo and Osun and we are moving to other states of the federation. What we want to achieve is not only to train but to empower the youths and contribute better to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“We have gone to Mosques, Churches, Arabic Schools and Sunday Schools across the Southwest States to draw more students so that we can as many students as we desire and of course, we are giving some of the scholarships to continue after the Bootcamp session and we are also offering internship placements with our partners, that is why we are bringing in ICT partners and State Governments in order to achieve bountifully.”

Regional Head, Public Sector Sales Department of Globacom Nigeria, Bola Onifade, said “youths must be guided to take the opportunities. As of today, the Nigerian unemployment gap is so huge that needs urgent attention and if there is an aspect that offers job opportunities and creates wealth, it is ICT, so what Tekisite is doing in the digital economy is laudable.”

The Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Job Creation and Youths Empowerment, Abiola Odetola, noted that the initiative fits into Ogun State government’s programmes on ICT and digital economy as “Ogun State Government is poised to bridge unemployment gap with ICT and boost the digital economy which is what Tekisite is doing to liberate youths from anti-social vices and cyber crimes.”