No fewer than five million Nigerian youth will benefit from the Federal Government of Nigeria and Microsoft Corporation digital upskilling programme.
The progrmme according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, to the Vice President will be located in each of the six geopolitical regions of Nigeria in the next three years.
A joint announcement on Monday by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on behalf of the Federal Government and the Microsoft Corporation President, Mr Brad Smith, said the partnership is to create 27,000 jobs leveraging on Microsoft’s experience in the utilisation of technology as an enabler for the delivery of public and social good.
Osinbajo said the Buhari administration is partnering with the tech giant to accelerate Nigeria’s advancement towards a more digital economy in line with the Economic Sustainability Plan.
The partnership with Microsoft Corporation anchored on connectivity, skilling and digital transformation followed discussions between both parties led by Osinbajo and Smith earlier in the year.
Speaking in a formal video announcement of the partnership with the tech giant, Osinbajo said ‘our government is committed to leveraging innovation and technology to bring better outcomes across a wide area of governance concerns. Indeed, it is with this in mind that we have sought constructive partnerships that bridge the knowledge, skills and technology gap that exist in most of our communities.’
According to him, ‘this launch is indicative of our commitment to this and will involve collaboration with various Government agencies as implementing partners, including the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian Institute of Cultural Orientation, and various other local partners. We intend that these initiatives become institutions in their own rights and make a real impact in the lives of our citizens going forward.’
On the core areas of the partnership, Osinbajo said ‘this partnership will focus on two pillars: Connectivity & Skilling, and Digital Transformation.’
He said: ‘We plan to connect under-served communities in each of the six geo-political zones with access to internet and cloud services. This project is a critical component of our objective of expanding broadband connectivity, which is by itself, a major pillar of our Economic Sustainability Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘Working with Microsoft, we intend to upskill five million Nigerians through this increased internet access over the next three years in various digital skills which will increase both employability and entrepreneurship.
‘The multiplier effect will bring opportunities in rural and urban areas to many young people and will help us deal with unemployment problems made worse by the pandemic.”
