Minister for Youth and Sports, Mr Sunday Dare, has described the digital skills gap as the bane of unemployment in Nigeria.
Speaking at the 2021 Annual Luncheon of the illustrious Government College, Ibadan, Old Boys Association (GCIOBA) at Jogor Centre in Ibadan, on Sunday, with the theme ‘Digital Literacy: A Panacea for Youth Unemployment’, he said there are digital job opportunities but we lack the youths that have the requisite digital skills to take up these jobs.
He emphasised the need for improved digital education, especially among the youths.
The Minister disclosed that the importance of Digital Literacy to employability is that Digital Literacy is necessary to succeed in the modern economy with basic digital literacy skills that can enhance the employability of individuals.
He charged that we must entrench a culture of investment in youth beyond traditional approaches saying we must make deliberate efforts to mentor and invest in youth or groups of youth in our communities and within our sphere of influence.
He stated that “There have been focused efforts to close the digital skills gap through a number of digital capacity building initiatives. Some are ongoing as we speak. Also, ongoing is the implementation of the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund. President Buhari listened to our arguments about the need to make our Youth develop their Entrepreneurship spirit.
“There is a digital skills gap in Africa, Nigeria is no exception. The high youth unemployment rate in Nigeria is a result of the Nigerian economy’s weak capacity to absorb new entrants into the labour market. An estimated 4.5 million enter the job market annually with only a 10 per cent absorption rate. Other challenges include, skills mismatch between the labour market and the educational system and that which is particularly important to our discussions today, is that over 60 per cent of graduates lack basic digital skills to compete in the 21st-century digital economy.
“We must go beyond the lamentation that our youth are lacking the digital skills they need, and come to the realisation that both the Government and private sector must collaborate in the drive for digital up-skilling of our teeming youth. It must start now from primary to secondary schools. Our focus must not be only on university graduates.
“In more developed countries, we see B-year-old kids coding successfully. We must start early. There is no age barrier in the acquisition of digital skills. GCIOBA can and must start now to teach and train their students on digital skills.
“Most jobs require digital literacy. In Nigeria, with the high level of youth unemployment, a youth skilled in basic and intermediate digital skills is more likely to access jobs locally and globally. Opportunities such as outsourcing digital marketing, software development, artificial intelligence, data analysis, IT administration and many others, are job-creating opportunities that young people can access even within the comfort of their homes.
“The digital economy is gradually disrupting the traditional economy and there are global examples of technology disrupting traditional systems. The Bolt and Uber are examples, the Air Ball is another example of the importance of technology. This disruptive nature of technology is also in force in banking and finance agriculture, medicine and various other sectors. Gradually, our lives are being shaped by technology and in the years to come, the lack of digital skills will mean irrelevance in terms of potential to access jobs and for socio-economic engagements,” he said.
Meanwhile, GCIOBA-Ibadan Branch Chairman, Mr Oluwole Agbaje said the annual luncheon is part of the rich tradition of the branch while thanking the Minister for his address which is part of their contributions to the national discourse.
Also, Social Secretary of the Association, Akeem Kareem, lauded the Association for putting things in place despite the economic concerns in the country and globally.
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