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Osun Trains 20,000 Youths on ICT
Osun State Government said it has engaged several youths in productive venture through its various empowerment programmes, especially, the training of about 20,000 indigenes in Information Communication Technology, ICT.
This was revealed over the weekend during a briefing by Mr. Abiodun Fesobi, Project coordinator of Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme Technology (OYESTECH), in Osogbo, the Osun state capital.
According to him, the programme is designed as an exit plan for OYES volunteers in the state and also to serve as support base for other interested participants to be self-reliant.
He hinted that the objective of the programme is to impact participants with required skill which will enable them to be employable by any organisation and become business owners.
“OYESTECH is an information and Communication Technology branch of the widely accepted Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES which is aimed at impacting the participants with required skills so as to enable them employable and become business owners.
“The scheme is all about skill acquisition through knowledge transfer with 10 training centres across the state which gives training on various sections such as phone repairs, electronics computer assembling, computer usage and entrepreneurship.
Aside 5,000 participants trained in the first batch of the scheme, additional 15,000 have been trained in different aspect of applied technology and they also re-trained many others.
He said, “Some of our graduates have also gone ahead to train over 150 persons; with success stories in their businesses.
“In order to achieve this set objectives, the government, through its investment arm- Osun State Investment Company Limited, OSICOL- embarked on selection of technical partner- RLG- and through signing of memorandum of understanding and admission of 5000 trainees per batch in four batches and at the end of it certificate were issued to participants.
In separate interviews, the beneficiaries said that the programme has enhanced their living condition and that of their families by making them productive and enable them to give back to the society.
One of the beneficiaries identified as Oseni Ibrahim, said, “I am one of the beneficiaries of the OYESTECH, the government have tried by giving us the best and also sending us to Ghana for training. We were trained on information technology and at our return; government equipped us with necessary tools which we are all satisfied with.
Another beneficiary who is now Mr. Abdul-Hakeem Babatunde, Director of Bayotek Computer Service, relaying his experience, said, “Bayotek computer service was founded after I graduated from the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme Technology in 2011 and we were given a mandate to empower other youths so as to complement government’s efforts at reducing unemployment among the youth.
“I have one of my centres at Federal Polytechnic Ede, Osun State and also have a Cybercafe as an extension where I also train students on how to work on software and hardware of computers. I have trained over 100 youths.
Also speaking, Anthonia Ogundare lauded the state government for the opportunity given her and many others to be part of the scheme adding that the scheme has made youths in the state productive.
“I have been a beneficiary of this programme; I was privileged to be chosen among 150 beneficiaries who were sponsored to Ghana by Osun state government for a month internship and at our return I was employed and I have since been working at Adulawo Technology City in Ilesa.
“This is one programme that has helped the youths in securing jobs to help their family and future. I have been learning a lot and gaining more knowledge every day”.
It would be recalled that the scheme which is aimed at job creation through ICT was inaugurated by the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in 2011.
OYESTECH is one of the components of Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) which has recruited over 40,000 youths.
The programme now in its sixth year, has successfully scaled down youths unemployment and profitably engaged them in various areas of ICT.
Also, the United Nations in its latest Global multi-dimensional poverty index report on Nigeria ranked the state of Osun as the 2nd state after Lagos with least poverty amongst the 36 states in Nigeria.
This is due to the several empowerment programmes of the government which has successfully moved hundreds of thousands away from the poverty line.
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, has approved the allocation of a parcel of land in Enugu, the state capital, for the establishment of a state-of-the-art Digital Fabrication Centre by the Industrial Training Fund.
Mbah announced this while receiving a delegation from the Industrial Training Fund on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Enugu.
The ITF disclosed this on Friday in a statement signed by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Thomas Ngor.
According to the statement, Mbah described the proposed project as timely and aligned with his administration’s vision of transforming Enugu into a leading destination for investment, innovation and technology-driven industrial development.
He noted that the future of economic prosperity lies in deliberate investments in human capital and emerging technologies, adding that the state has continued to create an enabling environment for innovation, enterprise and sustainable growth.
The governor explained that his administration has made technical education compulsory in the state’s basic education system, with emphasis on digital literacy, robotics and mechatronics to prepare learners for the future of work.
According to him, many traditional trades are now driven by digital technologies, making it imperative to equip young people with relevant technical competencies that will enable them to compete globally and contribute meaningfully to economic development.
Governor Mbah further disclosed that his administration has built smart schools across the state, equipped with robotics centres, mechatronics laboratories and other modern learning facilities, to prepare youths for the evolving global economy.
He noted that artificial intelligence is expected to contribute about $20tn to the global economy in the coming years.
He therefore stressed that the state must be intentional about upskilling its citizens, adding that the establishment of the ITF Digital Fabrication Centre will significantly strengthen the state’s drive to build a knowledge-based economy, foster innovation, promote local manufacturing and create employment opportunities for its growing youthful population.
Earlier, Afiz Ogun, the Director-General of the ITF, who led the delegation, said that upon his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, he was mandated to upskill Nigerian artisans to international standards.
He explained that the Fund subsequently repositioned its technical and vocational skills development efforts through strategic initiatives, including the Skill-Up Artisans Programme, which is designed to train, certify and license Nigerian artisans to international standards.
Ogun disclosed that the Fund had already established a Digital Fabrication Centre in Ikeja, Lagos, with the capacity to produce more than 400 different products. He therefore requested the allocation of land in Enugu State to establish a similar centre with the same production capacity.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at promoting industrialisation, reducing dependence on imports and preparing Nigerians for opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
He also reaffirmed the Fund’s readiness to enter into public-private partnerships that will transform Nigeria’s artisanal ecosystem.
Ogun further noted that digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, robotics and computer-aided manufacturing, are rapidly transforming the global economy, making it imperative for Nigeria to deliberately invest in upskilling its workforce to remain globally competitive.
The ITF delegation was later conducted on a guided tour of facilities at one of the smart schools established by the Enugu State Government.
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