Be technology oriented for financial independence — Minister tells youth

The Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Olatunbosun Tijani, has urged Nigerian youths to take advantage of the numerous life-changing opportunities embedded in technology for a greater and brighter future.

He noted that thousands of youths roaming the streets could become financially independent if they developed and acquired the necessary knowledge in the technology sector.

Tijani stated this in his remarks at the commissioning of a solar-powered community ICT Centre, facilitated by him and executed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in Abeokuta on Monday.

The Minister appreciated President Bola Tinubu’s government’s efforts for its resolve to invest in the digital economy towards providing sustainable means of livelihood for the teeming youths.

He hinted that the present administration is committed to raising over one million tech professionals who will harness the power of technology for the advancement of the country.

The Minister encouraged young people to seize the opportunities presented by technology, adding that the government is building more ICT Centres across the country, with about 30 already completed centres set to be commissioned in the coming months.

He said, “So, when we talk about this Community ICT Centre, we are not just cutting a ribbon, we are opening doors. We are expanding horizons for young people who are just like I was — full of energy, full of questions, and full of potential.

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“This centre, developed by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is a hub of possibilities. It provides a space where students from the many academic institutions here, from FUNAAB to Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Crescent University and beyond, can find tools to match their talents. It is where a secondary school student from Ijeun or Lafenwa can walk in and be introduced to programming, robotics, design thinking, or digital entrepreneurship.

“Youth must not be distracted; they should stay focused. Not enough people are working in the technology sector all over the world. If you have anyone working in technology, the starting salary is between N250,000 and N500,000.”

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the construction of the Community ICT Centre was one of the projects on a five-hectare site designated for the new Abeokuta City Hall Complex.

The new Abeokuta City Mall is being built to celebrate 200 years of the Egba people by 2030.

Other projects already executed on the large expanse of land include a library and an administrative building facilitated by Senator Solomon Adeola, representing Ogun West Senatorial District.

The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, lauded Tinubu’s government for constructing the centre for the Abeokuta community.

The monarch said the project would significantly contribute to youth empowerment and promote academic achievement in ICT within the state and beyond.

According to Gbadebo, Tinubu’s desire to support the growth of Egbaland’s educational system is unmatched.

He added that the president had recently appointed principal officers and members of the governing board for the newly authorised Federal University of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Abeokuta.

Oba Gbadebo noted that, with this development, the state capital would be the first city to have two federal universities in the same location, adding that this, among other things, has undoubtedly signalled a new era for the people of Egbaland.

Meanwhile, the monarch called on other Egba sons and daughters, both home and abroad, to follow the Minister’s example and utilise their connections and influence to advance the development of Egbaland and the state as a whole.

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