The Federal Government on Friday trained about 210 youths in Oyo State on digital marketing, cybersecurity basics, remote work, and technology-enabled entrepreneurship.
The digital literacy and empowerment programme was facilitated by a lawmaker representing Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency and a Governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Stanley Olajide, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency.
The event was held at Dapo Aderogba Hall, Nigeria Union of Journalists state Secretariat, Iyaganku Government Reserved Area, Ibadan, the state capital
Olajide, popularly called Odidiomo, explained that his priorities include establishing tech and innovation hubs to position Ibadan as the technology capital of the South-West.
The chairman of the House Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity described the practical as a response to the challenge of youth unemployment and the urgent need to bridge the digital divide.
He said, “I serve as a representative and remain actively engaged in committees related to ICT, cybersecurity, and other areas of technology. Technology is not just a field for me; it is a passion.
“A key priority is how we can empower our youth, both men and women, by equipping them with the skills they need to succeed. This is central to everything I do, because the future of Nigeria depends on them,” he said.
The lawmaker indicated that the programme is being expanded in phases, with additional cohorts already scheduled to scale its impact beyond the current beneficiaries.
“Regarding this programme, we have about 210 beneficiaries participating today, with an additional 150 set to begin next week. This will bring the total to approximately 360 participants in this phase. We plan to run up to ten phases before the end of the year; this is the second phase, following an earlier one held late last year.
“Beyond training, participants received financial support ranging between N30,000 and M50,000 to help them launch digital ventures. This move was deliberately structured to ensure immediate access and transparency.
“Each participant is receiving financial support, between N30,000 and N50,000, to help them get started. I made it a point that these funds be given in cash to avoid any issue related to network failures or delays in transfers, ensuring transparency and that everyone receives what they are entitled to,” he explained.