NCC, Ebony Govt. trains 1000 youths on ICT

Some of the participants

The Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and Ebonyi State Government at the weekend trained over one thousand youths of the state on Information Communications Technology (ICT).

The event which held at the Akanu Ibiam International Conference Centre was organized by the Global Youths Awareness and Development Initiative (GYADI), a Non-Governmental Organization.


The Executive Vice Chairman Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Dantata at the event stressed the need for youths in the country to be formally trained on ICT to enable them to play active role in the emerging digital economy.

Prof Dantata said  that countries such as China, Singapore and Germany are recording high human development index and appreciable growth in gross domestic product as a result of unlimited access to Information Communications Technology provided to their citizens.

Represented by a Deputy Director in the Commission, Mr Austin Odo, the Vice Chairman stressed that if Nigeria would join notable sustainable economies in the world there was the need for government at all levels to invest aggressively in ICT development.

The President of the GYADI Prince Ejighionwu Ebei who described it as first of its kind in the state said it was packaged as capacity programme to encourage ICT proficiency literacy among the Ebonyi youths.

‘’The youths who are the most valuabe human resources, the most agile and a critical demographic group of the nation needs to be incorporated in all developmental facets that will trigger sustainable national developemnt’’, he said.

He noted that the training will create job opportunities for the teaming unemployed youths and improved Internally Generated Revenue of the state with accelerated increase in the Gross Domestic Products of the state.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to Governor Umahi on ICT, Prince Aja Nwabueze said the state government had partnered with federal government agencies including NCC on ICT.

Prince Ajah  explained that the participants would be trained on web design, networking, internet marketing and Graphic design.

He disclosed that the participants were carefully selected from the thirteen local government areas of the state.

Ebonyi SSG, Prof Odo(middle), representative of NCC Vice Chairman, Mr Austin Odo, SA on ICT Prince Aja and others at the training

Governor David Umahi represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Bernard Odo while declaring the event open announced plans by his administration to phase out blackboard in schools for e-learning facilities as part of a road map for ICT development in the state.

Some of the participants appreciated the Nigerian Communications Commission and the state government for organizing the summit but called for the provision of free internet services in some public places.

About one thousand youths participated in the summit which was the first of its kind in the state.

The theme of the summit was refocusing talented Ebonyi youths for sustainable national development in training and capacity building through ICT. ENDS