By Kennedy Dimaku
Nigerians have been urged to leverage on the derivable benefits from ICT to chart the country’s development. The Chief Executive Officer and Founder of a Non-Governmental Organization, A3 Foundation, Amb. Dr. Aisha Audu-Emeje stated this in an interview on the sidelines of e-Nigeria 2015 organized by National Information and Technology Development Agency, NITDA in Abuja .Dr Audu-Emeje pointed out that the growth and development of any nation is based on the utilization of ICT tools, noting that Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind.
According to her, “The growth of the world today is based on ICT, Nigeria cannot be left behind. The impact it has on a developing nation like Nigeria is enormous.
“For us to grow the economy, we need to key into the area of e-agric and e-health which are dream ways to live, we are only connecting to the global world.’’
On her foundation known as A3 foundation, Dr. Aisha-Emeje, said they are working with the Rockefeller Foundation to promote digital jobs in Africa.
“We are training the youths in fixing, assembling and networking computers, this is going to help in all ICT infrastructures we are building all over the country and also facilitate the businesses the international investors are bringing into the country because they will need skilled hands,” she explained.
She urged all stakeholders in the country to join hands in training more youths in this field as e-growth is a fast moving trend that Nigeria must latch onto.
“My interest is to pick youths between 18-35 years and train them to reduce the rate of unemployment, by doing this from the basic age or the age that has gotten some knowledge already, so that they can help themselves beyond their degree or beyond their skill like farming and others to improve their lives and have a second job.
“And those who have been laid off from banks and other jobs, they have basic computer knowledge, but the Cisco IT essentials we give them is going to put them directly into the market of maintaining ICT
facilities being built around the country, that’s what I stand for.”
Audu-Emeje disclosed that the youths who are picked for this training are those who have high potential but disadvantaged because they do not have the resources to train themselves.
The A3 Foundation with the support of Rockefeller Foundation is currently giving free Cisco IT essentials training to 1000 Nigerian youths in different locations across the country.
The training, according to her is ongoing in Niger State, Bauchi and the Federal Capital Territory.
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