In a bid to prevent the idle hand from becoming the devil’s workshop, an ICT Impact Group known as Tekisite, has empowered 1,500 students drawn from various secondary schools in three Southwestern States of Nigeria – Ogun, Oyo and Osun State.
The aim of the training is to redirect youths from cybercrimes and other social vices in the social space to useful and creative engagements.
The 1,500 students, aged between 10 and 16 years, were picked from Schools such as Alaye High School, Ayetoro; Pacesetters College, Ayetoro; Fortress College, Ijebu Ode; Nawairudeen High School, Abeokuta; Olaroyals School, Abeokuta in Ogun State; Sharon of Rose College, Saki; Faith Model College, Saki; Christ Grammar School, Saki in Oyo State and Kingswill College, Ife in Osun State.
The 1,500 students were trained in various relevant ICT skills such as Software Development, Digital Marketing, Photography, Graphics Design and Product Design by Tekisite in partnership with Code Learners Hub, PieLogistics, Tekinest, Menaget SPC, Halona Media, Gaffreaks Infosys, Reaching Minds Foundation and Ogun Tech Hub.
The Guardian NG reports that Tekisite Founder, Abass Oyeyemi while speaking at the end of a two-week boot camp held at Ogun Tech Hub in Abeokuta, declared that the ICT training and youth empowerment were borne out of a desire to take away the minds of the youth from cybercrimes and social vices, and reasonably engage them to unlock opportunities which abound in the digital economy for the betterment of the country.
Oyeyemi said that he was motivated to create Tekisite, having discovered a proliferating rate of cybercrime and social vices among the teeming youths, especially among the teenagers and adolescents, saying that the training would not only reduce crimes rate, but would also empower youths in the country.
He said, “the intention of Tekisite and our Group is to ensure that youths are caught young; it is to ensure that there is digital literacy in our Society. It seems youths and teenagers are not aware of opportunities in the digital economy, the only thing the youth seem to know is cybercrime and we must discourage that, cyber fraud and all kinds of corruption attached to ICT must be discouraged.
Regional Head, Public Sector Sales Department of Globacom Nigeria, Bola Onifade, said the next opportunity for the youths is the digital economy,” youths must be guided to take the opportunities, as of today, Nigerian unemployment gap is so huge that needs urgent attention and if there is an aspect that offers job opportunities and creates wealth, it is ICT, so what Tekisite is doing in the digital economy is laudable.”
The Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State on Job Creation and Youths Empowerment, Abiola Odetola, noted that the initiative fits into Ogun State Government’s Programs on ICT and digital economy as “Ogun State Government is poised to bridge unemployment gap with ICT and boost the digital economy which is what Tekisite is doing to liberate youths from anti-social vices and cyber crimes.”
