Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Friday, inaugurated the ‘Skillnovation Programme’, designed to provide over three million Nigerians with essential digital skills for information technology revolution.
Shettima, while launching the programme at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said the initiative was part of the government’s efforts to ensure that citizens succeed in the global economy.
The Skillnovation Programme will establish 15 state-of-the-art Information Communication Technology Centres, strategically placed across the country.
The programme will also provide individuals and businesses alike with access to cutting-edge digital training, resources and support.
The first phase of the programme will be implemented in Katsina, Anambra, Borno, Lagos, Oyo and Kano states while the second phase will be in Delta, Kaduna, Ogun, Bauchi, Kwara and Ekiti states.
The vice president said this would in turn extend the reach of economic and social interactions as well as enhance productivity growth in the country.
He described Skillnovation as a transformative initiative that will usher in a new era of digital empowerment for Nigerians.
“We are compelled to tread this path by the direction in which the world has headed, a world of disruptive technologies redefined by the fourth industrial revolution.
“This initiative is a response to the evolution of the modern business environment, an acknowledgement that digital skills have become the cornerstone of economic ease and expansion,” he said.
Shettima noted that Nigeria, with its expanding MSMEs sector of close to 40 million, had the potential to lead business innovation beyond Africa.
“The ‘Skillnovation Programme’, therefore, aims to unlock this immense potential. The initiative is designed to provide the necessary tools and skills for MSMEs to thrive and compete on the global stage.
“It’s in pursuit of this administration’s resolve to empower youths and MSMEs and to create a more inclusive and prosperous Nigeria.
“Today, we are translating that commitment into action, and we intend to be your allies in your race to take over the world through enhanced skills,” he said.
