Google Nigeria has announced the launch of its Google Digital skills for Africa programme which kicked off in Aba and other neighboring towns in Abia state. In the course if the programme, entrepreneurs, particularly manufacturers.
Speaking during the unveiling in Aba, the Head of Brand and Reputation at Google (Sub-Saharan Africa) Mrs Mojolaoluwa Aderemi-Makinde, said that the programme is aimed at offering training courses to help individuals and communities develop and grow digital skills, find jobs, and advance in their careers.
“The youth make up 60 per cent of Africa’s unemployed; developing digital entrepreneurship and creating new job opportunities for them is critical to Africa’s transformative growth.
“We are doing this because we believe that more needs to be done to empower young Africans to succeed in the digital world.”
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Meanwhile, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state said the government was excited about Google introducing Digital Skills training to the business community and local manufacturers in Aba. He emphasized the importance of technology, stating that commercial activities are now dependent on the digital world.
According to him, the training would drive business expansion, help to increase sales and create employment opportunities in the state.
In his remark, the President of the Association of Tailors and Fashion Designers (Aba branch), Mr Onyebuchi Nwigwe, also expressed his excitement and optimism over the development. He said that Google’s presence with its digital skills in Aba would help project their businesses worldwide.
He said that the association was opened to receiving the training from Google and that as fashion designers and tailors they would be able to properly compete with their counterparts across the world after adopting and introducing the digital skills to their business models.
The Google Digital Skills for Africa programme was first announced by Google in 2016 when it dedicated itself into training one million young Africans within one year. In 2017, it extended the programme for another five years in order to reach 10 million Africans.
The Digital skills programme is designed to address the skills needs of job seekers and small business owners. Till date, it has been rolled out in roughly 100 communities in many countries including Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya.
