NCC’s commitment to digital job creation for youths remains unflinching — Danbatta

*Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission, highlights some objectives of the Commission’s ‘Digital Job Creation for Youths’ programme in line with the Federal Government’s National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy 2020-3030 

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has restated the telecoms sector regulatory Commission is “fully committed to the effective and efficient implementation of the Federal Government’s policy direction in repositioning the youth for the digital era job opportunities” through a programme tagged, ‘Digital Job Creation for Youths’ (DJCY).

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, who said this Sunday, May 7, 2023, noted that the Commission, in line with one of the pillars of the National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy, (NDEPS 2020-2030), is poised to further accelerate economic growth in digital literacy and skills among the young population in the West African country.

Danbatta disclosed that thus far, over 2,000 Nigerian youths have benefited from the programme from the six geopolitical zones of the country while the ongoing edition also has 600 youths being trained.

The telecoms regulator also explained the DJCY programme is designed to enhance the skills of youths across all the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria through “customised training and offer of fully-loaded laptop computers with networking devices”.

The objective, it noted, is to equip the beneficiaries for the purposes of engaging in different digital entrepreneurship businesses that they may choose after such training.

The NCC EVC/CEO further stated: “The beneficiaries are provided with free accommodation facilities for two weeks, during which resource persons in digital skills, business development and management, are engaged to retool them with their laptops to re-orientate them towards self-discovery, self-development, and self-employment.”

 

Objectives of the DJCY

According to Danbatta, some of the objectives of the DJCY include remoulding the youths with other skills with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) proficiency to fit into the digital economy as well as strengthen technical and scientific competences among the youths with a view to creating opportunities for self-employment.

He stated that the programme is also designed to improve access to ICT-enabled services such as banking, and strengthen the ICT micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector of the Nigerian economy.

 

“The DJCY relies on the provisions of NDEPS 2020-2030, which encourage the promotion of Digital Literacy and Skills through ‘massive training of Nigerians from all walks of life in order to enable them to obtain digital literacy and other digital skills’, ” said he.

Danbatta as well noted that hundreds of the participants in the previous two editions had reported gainful self-employments, using the laptops and Internet connectivity tools provided by the Commission.

He stated: “It is gratifying to note that the Commission has, through the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Ali Ibrahim Pantami, received the commendations of the Federal Government for the way and manner it had efficiently and effectively designed and implemented this programme for the benefit of the Nigerian youths.

 

“The Commission restates its full commitment to this programme as a result of the positive feedbacks from the previous editions and the potentials it has in enhancing the digital opportunities of the Nigerian youth for the benefit of the nation’s digital economy.”

The Nigerian Communications Commission is the independent regulatory authority for the telecommunication sector in Nigeria, as enshrined in the Nigerian Communication Act (NCA), 2003.

The Commission is responsible for creating an enabling environment for competition among operators in the industry s well as ensuring the provision of qualitative and efficient telecommunications throughout the country.

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