The Commissioner for Youth Development in Ekiti State, Gold Adedayo, has declared the state government’s commitment to utilising technology in driving youth inclusion and a solution to youth unemployment.
The Commissioner stated this in Ado-Ekiti during the interactive S’etigbo multicast anchored by the Bureau of Community Communications.
He explained that the ministry established an information technology skill acquisition program for youths in the state as a key driver to the shared prosperity mantra of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s administration.
According to him, “We have a resource centre in the Ministry of Youth Development that is of course, partnering with a lot of tech innovation organizations to bring about information technology skill acquisition programs to our Ekiti youths. About a week ago or two weeks ago, we launched a 1000 skill ICT program for our youth. It’s called the digital accelerator program. It is currently ongoing and we have started with the first cohort in Ado-Ekiti.
“We are moving to all of our local governments to ensure that we do not concentrate all efforts in Ado-Ekiti alone, that all of our youth in our respective local government are also able to benefit. Because right now, in information technology, you can sit in the comfort of your house, in your village, and be earning dollars. That’s the new order now in our nation, in the world. And so, Ekiti youths are also not left out. The government is using this to drive youth inclusion into the prosperity mantra of this administration.”
The commissioner noted that in collaboration with other ministries, they have mapped out various sustainable development strategies to empower young people and place them at the heart of policy execution and economic transformation.
“We have a lot of programs that we have done and that is still currently ongoing. All is actually centered around youth empowerment, youth development in the Ekiti State. Of course, if you start from Ministry of Agriculture, the agribusiness that is currently ongoing, they have started since. A lot of our youth have been benefiting while some are just joining various agricultural businesses in Ekiti State and from that one to innovation.
“Just like we always say that we don’t work in silos in Ekiti State, we all work together. So, if you go to innovation, the Startup Garage and all ICT programs, digital skills acceleration programs that are currently ongoing in the Innovation Ministry, go to Wealth Creation, organizing, empowerment program, trainings for our youth to be able to have one skill or the other.
“Data gathering is an ongoing thing because we started since the inception of this administration. We still continue to update and upgrade on our data collection. But the one that we have now, we have done analysis of that data to reflect what we refer to as Youths in Biz – youths in business, entertainment, agriculture, technology and sports.
“So, we have various channels for each segment. And every time, all the time that any program comes out, we always roll out Google Forms for people to fill the form and get enrolled into any of the programs that we want to do. They don’t really need to know anybody but to just apply. All that we want to do is to ensure that those ones that are serious, those ones who really want to get the skill or want to get the knowledge are given the opportunity to benefit. That’s how we always ensure to get the right people to the right program.”
