The wife of Ebonyi Governor, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, on Friday in Abakaliki inaugurated a three-month free training on digital skills acquisition for youths in the state.
Mrs Nwifuru inaugurated the training through her pet project, Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Foundation (BERWO), in collaboration with the state government.
The wife of the governor, who gave the beneficiaries start-up kits, said the initiative came as an effort to create digital literacy skills and provide employment opportunities to the younger generations in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries will be trained in frontend development, hardware maintenance/networking, graphic design, video editing and content creation.
She noted that the basic and practical skills in information technology and digital literacy were key to self-development and uplifting their potential.
The governor’s wife affirmed the state government’s commitment to providing the youth an enabling environment for the training. She commended the governor for his support for the programme.
Earlier, Tochukwu Okorie, Commissioner for Information and Communication Technology (ICT), said the essence of the scheme was to bridge the digital knowledge gap and enable the beneficiaries to become self-reliant in their various endeavours.
Also, Peter Oga, Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ebonyi Command, appealed to the youth to embrace the scheme and stay away from drug abuse.
Kenneth Offor, Deputy Commander, NDLEA, who spoke on the topic, “Abstaining from illicit drugs”, advocated a treatment and rehabilitation centre in the state.
Speaking, Nkechi Echiegu, BERWO team leader, said 65 young men and women would embark on the free training scheme aimed at enhancing the digital literacy skills of youths in the state.
Echiegu highlighted that the foundation embodies a shared vision to address critical issues and enhance the quality of life for all. Some of the beneficiaries expressed satisfaction with participating in the programme.
A beneficiary, Stephanie Okorie, expressed appreciation to the state government and the foundation for the initiative and pledged to utilise the knowledge gained for self-development and the creation of digital empowerment.
NAN reports that the pilot phase of 65 beneficiaries was drawn from across the 13 local government areas of the state.