NCC empowers over 2,000 Youths with Digital skills

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says that over 2,000 people have benefited from the Digital Jobs Creation for Youths (DJCY) program across the country’s six geopolitical zones.

This was made known by the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Danbatta, in Abuja.

The NCC Vice Chairman reaffirmed the telecom regulatory agency’s commitment to the initiative.

600 youths are being trained as part of the program’s current edition in line with one of the pillars of the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy (NDEPS 2020-2030), which aims to further accelerate economic growth in digital literacy and skills.

According to Danbatta, “The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is fully committed to the effective and efficient implementation of the Federal Government’s policy direction in repositioning the youth for the digital era job opportunities through the Digital Job Creation for Youths.”

He explained that “The DJCY programme is designed to enhance the skills of youths across all the Six (6) Geopolitical Zones of Nigeria through customised training and offer of fully-loaded laptop computers with networking devices, to equip them for the purposes of engaging in different digital entrepreneurship businesses that they may chose.

Professor Danbatta further said that “The beneficiaries are provided with free accommodation facilities for two weeks, during which resource persons in digital skills, business development and management, are engaged to retool them with their laptops to re-orientate them towards self-discovery, self-development, and self-employment.”

He highlighted that some of the objectives of the DJCY include remoulding youths with other skills with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) proficiency to fit into the digital economy as well as strengthen technical and scientific competencies among the youths.

“This is with a view to creating opportunities for self-employment. It is also designed to improve access to ICT-enabled services such as banking and strengthen the ICT micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector of the economy.

“The DJCY relies on the provisions of NDEPS 2020-2030, which encourage the promotion of Digital Literacy and Skills through massive training of Nigerians from all walks of life in order to enable them to obtain digital literacy and other digital skills. Hundreds of the participants in the previous two editions have reported gainful self-employments, using the laptops and Internet connectivity tools provided by the Commission.”

The NCC Vice Chairman stated that the Commission received the Federal Government’s commendation for the efficient and effective design and implementation of this program for the benefit of Nigerian youths through the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Ibrahim Pantami.