Skill-Up: Uzodimma To Graduate 15,000 Youths from Cohort 2

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State will on Wednesday, September 27, 2023, gather governors, ministers and members of the diplomatic corps at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, by 11am for the graduation of 15,000 youths of Imo and beyond from Cohort 2 of the SkillUpImo Project.

Imo State Commissioner for Digital Economy and E-Government, Dr. Chimezie Amadi, noted that the project is the premier digital empowerment programme initiated by the governor to train and equip Imo youths with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) skillset.

It will be recalled that on February 22, 2023, the governor had graduated 5,000 youths trained in different digital skills such as front-end and back-end development, digital marketing, cyber security, data analytics, content creation, User Interface/User Experience (UI/UX) design, graphics design, tracking engineering, phone repairs and virtual assistance.

“Cohort 2, which started on May 4, 2023 trained 15,000 youths in those different knowledge areas, and a lot of them have, today, launched their own startups, created their own digital ventures. A lot of them also have already been employed by tech companies like Zinox, Konga, WakaNow and other digital-driven businesses in and outside Imo.

“This is in line with His Excellency’s Shared Prosperity mandate to ensure that tech is leveraged in solving youth unemployment in the state,” Dr. Amadi said.

Preparatory to Wednesday’s graduation, the Ministry of Digital Economy and E-Government is organising a tech walk, where all the graduands of Cohorts 1 and 2 will come out en masse for a sensitisation walk across Owerri to create awareness on digital adoption, digital literacy and skills.

Dignitaries expected at the event are governors of Ebonyi and Cross River states, Minister of Sports Development, Minister of State, Labour and Employment and Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy will be Special Guest of Honour.

Also to grace the occasion are the British High Commission, Canadian High Commission, Embassy of Germany and the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Leo Stan Ekeh.

The commissioner disclosed that the 3R Digital Learning Centre at the ministry has been completed with state-of-the-art digital equipment to support qualitative digital teaching and learning, awaiting commissioning for the commencement of Cohort 3

According to him, the centre will open a week after the graduation of Cohort 2.