From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The Coca-Cola Foundation is set train 210,000 youths in various digital skills in its ongoing project to create employment opportunities in Imo State.
Senior Manager, Social Impact,Strategy, Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability (PACS) Africa operating Unit,Uche Ogbonna disclosed this recently during the flag off of the Digital Skilling and Employment Project (DSEP) in Owerri,the Imo State capital.
According to Ogbonna, the training which is expected to be catalytic will have the beneficiaries impact in others in the society which he noted is aimed at reducing poverty rate in the state.
He said, “the empowerment is transferrable because those empowered will extend it to others. We believe the narrative would change from being one of the poorest State to the richest. Imo would be trailblazer to digital transformation.
The training funded by Coca-Cola in collaboration with the Centre for Social Awareness, Advocacy and Ethics (CSAAE) Corporate Imo Impact Partners(CIIP) and the Ministry of Digital Economy, Imo State, he added will also boost economic activities in the South East.
Earlier, Ogbonna recalled that President of the Coca-Cola foundation, Saadia Madsbjerg, had spent 17.5 billion dollars across the globe in embarking on similar training and a total of 17 million dollars in Africa.
He said “We are thrilled to contribute to youth development initiatives such as this, as digital entrepreneurship rapidly gains momentum in Africa, by offering skills and training in this field, we aim to boost socioeconomic growth throughout this resource-abundant continent.
“Our commitment extends beyond Africa to the global stage, as we actively seek collaborations with suitable partners to drive the essential progress needed for Africa’s advancement, the foundation president said.”
He however added “As youth unemployment rates rise in Nigeria, many have turned to social vice to get by. This has led to alarming incidences of crime, gender-based violence and other sex related crimes.
“To help curb this menace, The Centre for Social Awareness, Advocacy and Ethics (CSAAE) has flagged off its Digital Skilling and Employment Project (DSEP) through a grant by The Coca-Cola Foundation, to equip 200,000 Nigerian youth with the skills and tools for digital jobs, which are in increasing demand in the country, but too expensive to acquire.
The 24-month programme he added is expected to train youths in cyber security, web development, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, among others.
He explained that beneficiaries of this project will be selected from urban, sub-urban and rural areas in Imo State and across Nigeria.
Reverend Fr. Godswill Agbagwa,Founder and Executive Director of of CSAAE,also speaking at the ceremony emphasised that the programme would inspire youth to launch and grow digital ideas in areas of global market demand.
He added that at the completion of the trainings, beneficiaries of the programme will be provided with laptops and workstations to enhance their productivity.