Bauchi Government To Improve ICT Among Youths

The Bauchi State Government is to partner with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to improve on the capacity of the youth for job creation through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Gov. Mohammed Abubakar said this in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Abubakar Al-Sadique, and made available to newsmen on Thursday in Bauchi.

“Worried by the state of unemployment and the need for governments to diversify their sources of income, the governor unveils plans by the Bauchi State Government to partner with the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA.

“To use the untapped opportunities provided by the Information and Communication Technologies to improve the capacity of unemployed youths.

“Make them not only self-reliant but employers of labour.

“Development, especially of youth in this information age, is anchored on the use of Information and Communication Technologies,’’ he said.

The governor said that this accorded the youth the opportunity of being “self-reliant’’.

Abubakar said that his administration was committed to making the youth in Bauchi State not only self-reliant but productive members of the society.

The governor said that the administration was making efforts to create thousands of jobs and reduce poverty level.

According to him, this is through the resuscitation of the moribund Bauchi State Youth and Women Agency for Rehabilitation and Development and the State Agency for Orphans and Vulnerable Children.

Abubakar sought the support of NITDA in addressing the challenges.

“The time has come for all governors, especially those from Northern Nigeria to diversify their economies by exploiting other natural endowments and many untapped opportunities, particularly in the areas of agriculture and solid minerals.

“This is to reduce heavy reliance on monthly allocations from the Federation accounts,’’ the governor said.

The Director-General of the NITDA, Dr Ali Fantami, described the visit as the first by any governor.

He advised the state government to establish a similar agency in the state that would be coordinating ICT activities and maximising the opportunities accorded by the ICT.

Fatanmi commended Gov. Abubakar for the transformation of the state, which he called his second home, particularly the Bauchi Revival Project.

He expressed the agency’s willingness to partner with the state government, exploit the opportunities provided by the ICT to transform the state’s economy and make it “ICT-compliant’’.

The director-general said the agency would source available scholarship opportunities for students of ICT from the state.

He also pledged to support the state in the 2017 digital job creation programme of the Federal government as well as available internship opportunities.